INDIAN LIFE AND INDIAN LORE 



THE HERO OF THE 
LONGHOUSE 




Hiawatha 



nr: 



3»eKrrr5»crr3*»*« 



INDIAN LIFE AND INDIAN LORE 



r:: 



rHEHEiOOFTHEl 
LONGHOUSEF^i 

BY ;,,>'. Ci 1 

MaryEIaiiig* 



r-*i 






iS2 



illiistrated by 
David C Litlig'0¥# 







1920 



1 g 



4 I 
.11 



r "2 » 

£ i o 

K / I 



K / 



I ''•"^i^-'"'Yorikers-oti-Hudsoii, Ne?# York ^/ 

I WORLD BOOK COMPANY 



^0 



^y^ 



WORLD BOOK COMPANY 

THE HOUSE OF APPLIED KNOWLEDGE 
Established, 1905, by Caspar W. Hodgson 

Yonkers-on-Huds6n, New York 
2126 Prairie Avenue, Chicago 

" Worthy of an age of poetry and 6t subjects 
for local story and romantic fiction, they 
leave scarcely an authentic trace upon the 
page of history, but stalk like gigantic shad- 
ows in the dim twilight of tradition." 
Since Washington Irving made this reflection, 
the Indian of old has become a familiar sub- 
ject in poetry and romance, but he has re- 
mained a twilight figure. To bring him out 
of the twilight, to supply the authentic trace, 
to give true-to-life accounts of the red men 
and their heroes, is the purpose of the Indian 
Life and Indian Lore Series, of which two 
volumes, Indian Days of the Long Ago and 
In the Land of the Head-Hunters, have already 
appeared. This new member of the series 
has to do with the life of one of the noblest 
of Indians. Through his story it bares to the 
reader the heart of his race — another race 
in another time, but still a race that loved 
the same trees and mountains and streams 
that we love. The underlying purpose of 
the work is to make clear the application 
to all mankind of the truth that " He fashion- 
eth their hearts alike." That The Hero of 
the Longhouse will succeed in impressing this 
truth on the mind of many a child in the 
land that once belonged to Hiawatha's people 
is the hope of author and publishers 



ILIL : LHL- 



Copy right, 1920, by World Book Company 

Copyright in Great Britain 

All rights reserved 



J>5N -8 1921 
©CI.A604890 



5 THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED 

TO THE YOUTH OF MY NATIVE STATE 

WHO ARE LIVING IN THE LONGHOUSE 

OF THE IROQUOIS 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

The story of Hiawatha as it has been handed 
down in wampum records and oral narrations 
constitutes a traditional history of unique in- 
terest. There have appeared among the people 
of every great race, whether in a barbarous or a 
civilized stage of development, human beings of 
surpassing power whose influence has extended 
far beyond their nation and their time. Such 
a man was Hiawatha. The labor of Hiawatha's 
life was given to creating a nation by uniting the 
five tribes of the Iroquois. The confederation 
which, with the aid of Daganoweda, he succeeded 
in establishing, endured to the opening of the 
Revolutionary War, without any break in its 
unity. It is still in existence. It was based on a 
truly remarkable constitution which has lately 
been published in a Museum Bulletin of the 
New York State Archaeological Department.^ 
This League gave the Iroquois an influence more 
extended than that of any other Indian race 
north of Mexico. 

It is significant that a fundamental object of 
the Iroquois Confederation was the elimination 
of warfare. The motives of the great founders 
of this union, indicated in the constitution itself, 
were social and religious as well as political. For 
this reason the story of the struggle of Hiawatha 
to bring about the confederation of the Iroquois 
tribes is the story of a great social-civic move- 
ment that is unexcelled in traditional history. It 

* Bulletin No. 184, The Constitution of the Five Nations, by 
Arthur C. Parker. 1916. 

vii 



viii Author's Preface 

makes Hiawatha a great statesman and a hero 
unsurpassed in moral courage. 

The story of The Hero of the Longhouse fol- 
lows in its main line the traditional history re- 
lated by Horatio Hale in his Iroquois Book of 
Rites and in manuscripts in the New York State 
Archaeological Department collected by Mr. Ar- 
thur C. Parker. Hale says of his story of the 
League: "The particulars comprised in it were 
drawn chiefly from notes gathered during many 
visits to the Reserve of the Six Nations on the 
Grand River in Ontario, supplemented by in- 
formation obtained in two visits to the Onondaga 
Reservation, in the State of New York, near 
Syracuse. My informants were the most ex- 
perienced counselors, and especially the 'wam- 
pum-keepers,' the official annalists of their 
people." ^ 

Of the early life of Hiawatha there is no 
record. The writer has placed the story of his 
childhood and youth against a background of 
Iroquois life drawn from approved historical 
sources. 

"About the mam events of Hiawatha's his- 
tory," says Horatio Hale, "and about his char- 
acter and purposes, there can be no reasonable 
doubt. We have the wampmn belts which he 
handled, whose simple hieroglyphics preserve the 
memory of the public acts in which he took part. 
We have, also, in the Iroquois Booh of Rites a 

* Iroquois Book of Rites, page 19, No. 2 of Brinton's Library 
of Aboriginal American Literature. Philadelphia, 1883. 



Author's Preface ix 

still more clear and convincing testimony to the 
character both of the legislator and of the people 
for whom his institutions were designed. . . . 
The persistent desire for peace, pursued for cen- 
turies in federal unions and in alliances and 
treaties with other nations, has been manifested 
by few as steadily as by the countrymen of Hia- 
watha. The sentiment of universal brotherhood 
which directed their polity has never been so fully 
developed in any branch of the Aryan race, un- 
less it may be found incorporated in the religious 
quietism of Buddha and his followers." ^ 

I have ventured on this story of The Hero of 
the Longhoiise with reluctance, partly because 
the material itself deserves a more commanding 
treatment, partly because the name of Hiawatha 
is sacred to the great poet who immortalized it. 
But the telling of the true story of Hiawatha for 
the youth who are growing up in the land where 
he lived and labored is surely an urgent need. 

I acknowledge here my great indebtedness to 
Dr. Ernest Bernbaum of Harvard University 
for a critical reading of the manuscript; to Mr. 
David Cunningham Lithgow for permission to 
use reproductions of paintings in his studio at 
Albany; to the New York State JNIuseum for 
permission to use reproductions of its two lunette 
frescoes; and to Mr. Arthur Caswell Parker, 
Arch^ologist of New York State, without whose 
generous encouragement and assistance this work 
could not have been written. 

^ Ibid., page 36. 



CONTENTS 

Author's Preface vii 

Introduction xiii 

The Historical Hiawatha xv 

Part One 

THE childhood AND YOUTH OF WHITE EAGLE 

1. The Birth of White Eagle 1 

2. Winter in the Longhouse 9 

3. Adventures of Childhood 17 

4. The Teaching of Hunadanlu 28 

5. White Eagle and Sosoxdoweh 40 

6. The Ball Game 50 

7. The Boy Hunters 61 

8. The Journey 72 

9. On the Shores of Ontario 83 

10. The Boy Warriors 92 

11. In the Absence of the Warriors 99 

12. The Dream-fast of White Eagle 110 

Part Two 
defending the homeland 

13. The Planting Festival 121 

14. The Defense of Kanatagowa .128 

15. The Death of Ondiyaka 137 

16. The Blight of the Maize Fields 144 

17. The Long Winter 155 

xi 



xii Contents 

18. The Marriage of Hiawatha 163 

19. The Raising-up of Hiawatha 176 

20. The Dream of Shawenis 186 

21. TONEDAWA, the ChILD OP HiAWATHA 193 

22. JiGONSASA, THE QuEEN OF THE NeUTRALS . . .202 

23. The Struggle with Atotarho 213 

24. The Awakening of Hiawatha 223 

25. The Choice of the Onondagas 232 

Part Three 
the going-out of hiawatha 

26. The Renunciation 241 

27. Through the Land of the Mohawks 248 

28. The Mohawks Listen to the Great Peace . 259 

29. The Great Northern Hunting 269 

30. On the Head of the Turtle 275 

31 . At Nundawao 285 

Part Four 
the building of the longhouse 

32. The Conquest of Darkness 293 

33. The Great Council 302 

34. The White Canoe 309 

Bibliography 316 

Glossary 319 



INTRODUCTION 

The name of Hiawatha has been made familiar 
and beloved among the children of our land 
through Longfellow's poem. Yet few people, 
other than ethnologists, know that there was a 
real Hiawatha ; that he was the co-founder of the 
powerful League of the Iroquois; and that 
nearly every large city from one end of the Em- 
pire State to the other stands in a region that 
once knew his footsteps. In Longfellow's poem 
we meet with a superhuman character who 
wanders far. The Hero of the Longhouse gives 
us a portrayal of the human Hiawatha in and of 
his own homeland. The first page and the first 
picture touch the reader as with a magic wand. 
He is carried backward half a thousand years and 
set down in the forests of central New York, 
where he sees the great Iroquois chieftain of old 
as a flesh-and-blood character with a soul like his 
own. 

Before beginning to write this book the author 
studied the history of Hiawatha from every pos- 
sible source. That she might the better visualize 
the scenes of his lifetime, she did much of her 
writing out-of-doors — in the woods of the 
northern Mohawk hunting ground, on the site 
of Skanehtade, and in the valley of the Gen- 
nisheyo. She climbed the heights of Bare Hill 
where Nundawao stood, she lived at Oswego, and 
she visited the Falls of the Mohawk where Hia- 
watha met for the first time his powerful friend 
Daganoweda. And the author, we feel, has en- 



xiv Introduction 

tered very fully into the spirit of the people and 
the times that she describes. The story is con- 
vincing; the Indian epic has never been retold 
with greater truth and vividness. Reading the 
book is like a happy adventure. 

The illustrations are by David Cunningham 
Lithgow, who has painted and sketched Hia- 
watha's people in every part of the old Iroquois 
confederacy. The pictures are as accurate as it 
is possible to make them, and they reveal unmis- 
takably the artist's keen insight into his subject 
and his sympathy with the story. 

I have watched this book grow, from the first 
pencil marks. I have watched the artist paint 
his pictures, and I have seen the printer's proof; 
and as one of Hiawatha's people I am very 
happy to see this work so ably accomplished. I 
believe that every reader, young or old, will join 
me in the wish that The Hero of the Longhouse 
will be read by all who admire nobility of char- 
acter and by all who love the woods, the hills, the 
brooks, and the charm of the open. 

Arthur C. Parker (Gawasowaneh) 

State Archaeologist of New York 
War Chief, Clan of the Bear of the Seneca Nation 



THE fflSTORICAL HIAWATHA 

The most authentic history of Hiawatha is found 
in Horatio Hale's Iroquois Book of Rites and in 
manuscripts in the New York State Archceolog- 
ical Department collected by Arthur C. Parker. 
Mr. Parker gained his material from the Iroquois 
on the Grand River Reservation in Ontario and 
from intimate intercourse with the Iroquois In- 
dians on the New York State Reservations. 
Horatio Hale's material was drawn from notes 
gathered during many visits to the Grand River 
Reservation and very especially from visits to 
the Onondaga Reservation in New York State. 
His informants "were the most experienced 
counselors and especially the wampum keepers, 
the official annalists of ^ the people." ^ 

These accounts agree on the main facts of 
Hiawatha's history, which was identified with a 
single great achievement: the founding of the 
League of the Iroquois. There is much uncer- 
tainty as to the date of the founding of the 
League. Hale concluded that the weight of evi- 
dence pointed to the year 1439,. Hiawatha be- 
longed to the Onondaga tribe and was at that 
time an important chieftain in the Turtle Clan. 

The Iroquois understood perfectly that their 
five tribes had a common descent, their fore- 
fathers having lived for a time on the headwaters 
of the St. Lawrence, subject to the Adirondacks, 
a numerous and cruel people. Through the 

^ Horatio Hale, The Iroquois Book of Rites, page 19. 



xvi The Historical Hiawatha 

severe discipline of long endurance and by con- 
serving all their native strength, the Iroquois es- 
caped from the Adirondacks, crossed Lake 
Ontario, and reached the Oswego River. The 
people believed that their forefathers emerged 
from the earth where they had hidden, at the 
Falls of the Oswego, and that under the leader- 
ship of the Holder-of-the-Heavens, they settled 
on the hills of Onondaga. Here they prospered. 
As they grew numerous, first the Mohawks and 
then the Senecas left the old home country at 
Onondaga and found new hunting grounds. 
Later the Oneidas separated from the Mohawks^ 
and the Cayugas from the Senecas; hence the 
Iroquois called the Onondagas, Mohawks, and 
Senecas the Three Elder Brothers, and the 
Oneidas and Cayugas the Younger Brothers. 

As years passed, there came to be much inter- 
tribal warfare among the Iroquois; and in the 
period of the making of the League, these wars 
had been devastating. 

"The Onondagas were then under the control 
of a dreaded war chieftain named Atotarho. He 
was a man of great force of character and 
of formidable qualities — haughty, ambitious, 
crafty and bold — a determined and successful 
warrior, and at home, so far as the constitution of 
an Indian tribe would allow, a stern and remorse- 
less tyrant. He tolerated no equal. The chiefs 
who ventured to oppose him were taken off one 
after another by secret means, or were compelled 



The Historical Hiawatha xvii 

to flee for safety to other tribes. His subtlety 
and artifices had acquired for him the reputation 
of a wizard. He knew, they say, what was going 
on at a distance as well as if he were present ; and 
he could destroy his enemies by some magical art, 
while he himself was far away. In spite of the 
fear which he inspired, his domination would 
probably not have been endured by an Indian 
community, but for his success in war." ^ 

There was at this time among the Onondagas 
a chief of high rank, whose name, Hiawatha, is 
rendered, "He who seeks the wampum belt." 
He had made himself greatly esteemed by his 
wisdom and his benevolence. He was now past 
middle age. Though many of his friends and 
relatives had perished by the machinations of 
Atotarho, he himself had been spared. Hiawatha 
had long beheld with grief the evils which af- 
flicted not only his own nation, but all the other 
tribes about them, through the continual wars in 
which they were engaged, and the misgovern- 
ment and miseries at home which these wars 
produced. AVith much meditation, he had elab- 
orated in his mind the scheme of a vast confeder- 
ation which would insure universal peace. In the 
mere plan of a confederation there was nothing 
new. There are probably few, if any, Indian 
tribes which have not, at one time or another, 
been members of a league or confederacy. It 
may almost be said to be their normal condition. 

* TJie Iroquois Book of Rites, page 20. 



xviii The Historical Hiawatha 

But the plan which Hiawatha had evolved dif- 
fered from all others in two particulars. The 
system which he devised was to be not a loose and 
transitory league, but a permanent government. 
While each nation was to retain its own council 
and its management of local affairs, the general 
control was to be lodged in a federal senate, com- 
posed of representatives elected by each nation, 
holding office during good behavior, and ac- 
knowledged as ruling chiefs throughout the whole 
confederacy. Still further, and more remark- 
ably, the confederation was not to be a limited 
one. It was to be indefinitely expansible. The 
avowed design of its proposer was to abolish war 
altogether. He wished the federation to extend 
until all the tribes of men should be included in 
it, and peace should everywhere reign. Such is 
the positive testimony of the Iroquois themselves; 
and their statement, as will be seen, is supported 
by historical evidence. 

Hiawatha's first endeavor was to enlist his own 
nation in the cause. He summoned a meeting of 
the chiefs and people of the Onondaga towns. 
The summons, proceeding from a chief of his 
rank and reputation, attracted a large concourse. 
"They came together," said the narrator, "along 
the creeks, from all parts, to the general council 
fire." But what effect the great projects of the 
chief, enforced by the eloquence for which he was 
noted, might have had upon his auditors, could 
not be known. For there appeared among them 



The Historical Hiawatha xix 

a well-known figure, grim, silent and forbidding, 
whose terrible aspect overawed the assemblage. 
The unspoken displeasure of Atotarho was suffi- 
cient to stifle all debate, and the meeting 
dispersed. 

This result, which seems a singular conclusion 
of an Indian council — the most independent and 
free-spoken of all gatherings — is sufficiently ex- 
plained by the fact that Atotarho had organized, 
among the more reckless warriors of his tribe, a 
band of unscrupulous partisans, who did his bid- 
ding without question and took off by secret 
murder all persons against whom he bore a 
grudge. The knowledge that his followers were 
scattered through the assembly, prepared to mark 
for destruction those who should offend him, 
might make the boldest orator chary of speech. 
Hiawatha alone was undaunted. He sunmioned 
a second meeting, which was attended by a 
smaller number, and broke up as before in con- 
fusion, on Atotarho's appearance. The unwea- 
ried reformer sent forth his runners a third time ; 
but the people were disheartened. When the day 
of the council arrived, no one attended. "Then," 
continued the narrator, "Hiawatha seated him- 
self on the ground in sorrow. He enveloped his 
head in his mantle of skins, and remained for a 
long time bowed in grief and thought. At length 
he arose and left the town, taking his course 
toward the southeast. He had formed a bold 
design. As the councils of his own nation were 



XX The Historical Hiawatha 

closed to him, he would have recourse to those of 
other tribes. At a short distance from the town 
(so minutely are the circumstances recounted) he 
passed his great antagonist, seated near a well- 
known spring, stern and silent as usual. No 
word passed between the determined represen- 
tatives of war and peace: but it doubtless was 
not without a sensation of triumphant pleasure 
that the ferocious war chief saw his only rival 
and opponent in council going into what seemed 
to be voluntary exile." ^ 

"The flight of Hiawatha from Onondaga to 
the country of the Mohawks," said Hale, "is to 
the Iroquois what the flight of Mohammed from 
Mecca to Medina is to the votaries of Islam. It 
is the turning point of their history." 

Manuscripts in the New York State Archaeo- 
logical Museum relate the story of Hiawatha's 
farewell to the hunting grounds of the Ononda- 
gas. Overwhelmed with grief, he went from 
point to point in the familiar homeland fasting 
for five days. It is at this time that legend 
credits him with devising wampum-shell strings, 
each shell holding a word of the message. In the 
land of the Oneidas he sends two birds (i.e., run- 
ners) to the principal village with the peace mes- 
sage, which is rejected. He appears in the prin- 
cipal towns of the Mohawks with his white shell 
strings, into which he has talked the words of the 
Great Peace. In every town his message is re- 

^ The Iroquois Book of Rites, pages 21-23. 



The Historical Hiawatha xxi 

jected. Last of all he meets Daganoweda at Ga- 
hoose, a small Mohawk village located at Cohoes 
Falls. Daganoweda at once accepts the Great 
Peace Message and becomes its most efficient 
champion. 

The mystery that lies in the founding of the 
Iroquois League rests in Daganoweda and his 
relation to the work. Horatio Hale makes him a 
Mohawk chieftain. Arthur C. Parker, New 
York State Archaeologist, believes that he 
was by birth a Huron and a man of extraordi- 
nary power and wisdom who had been adopted by 
the Mohawks and made a chieftain. All au- 
thorities agree that without Daganoweda, Hia- 
watha could not have accomplished his great 
work. 

Another personality that appears at this time, 
working with Hiawatha and Daganoweda for 
the Great Peace, is Jigonsasa, the Queen of the 
Neutrals. This line of Peace Queens is spoken 
of in the Jesuit Relations. The Peace Queens 
kept their tribe from war and were held in rever- 
ence by neighboring tribes. The Peace Home, 
or dwelling of the Queen of the Neutrals, was a 
place of refuge as well as a court of arbitration. 
The last of the line of Jigonsasa lived in the Ton- 
awanda (Seneca) Reservation in New York 
State as late as 1892. Her English name was 
Carrie Mount Pleasant. There is traditional 
evidence that the Peace Queen of the Neutrals 
was present at all the councils with Hiawatha 



xxii The Historical Hiawatha 

and Daganoweda when the acceptance of the 
Great Peace was in question. 

The Peace Confederation was accepted first by 
the Mohawks after a year's dehberation. A year 
later the Oneidas accepted it. At this time it was 
again rejected by the Onondagas. The Cayugas 
after a year of dehberation entered the Peace 
League. Again a delegation approached Ato- 
tarho, this time made up of representatives from 
the Mohawks, Oneidas, and Cayugas. Atotarho 
now offered to accept their invitation to enter the 
League on condition that he be made its Great 
Sachem. Hiawatha, to whom this office would 
naturally fall, yielded him the honor at once. 
The Four United Tribes then approached the 
Senecas, who after a year's deliberation came 
into the Great Peace Alliance. 

Hiawatha is credited with having labored suc- 
cessfully in changing the heart of Atotarho. In 
the picturesque language of the Iroquois he 
"combed the snakes from the hair of Atotarho." 

The Iroquois did not make canoes of wliite 
birch bark, but white birch bark canoes could have 
been easily obtained through trade with the Chip- 
pewas. The White Canoe holds so persistent a 
place in the legendary history of Hiawatha that 
there can be no doubt that it was intimately asso- 
ciated with him in the minds of his contempo- 
raries and that it featured in some way in his 
death. The Iroquois, in his figurative mode of 
speech, said that Hiawatha went to Heaven in 



The Historical Hiawatha xxiii 

his White Canoe. Horatio Hale believes that he 
was buried in the White Canoe as one of his val- 
ued possessions. 

"The Iroquois were always eager to receive 
new members into their League," says Horatio 
Hale. "The Tuscaroras, Nanticokes, the Tute- 
loes, and a band of Delawares, were thus success- 
fully admitted, and all of them still retain repre- 
sentatives in the council of the Canadian branch 
of the confederacy. When this political union 
could not be achieved, the Iroquois sought to ac- 
complish the same end, as far as possible, by 
treatj^ of alliance. When a neighboring people 
would neither join the confederacy nor enter into 
a treaty of alliance with it, the almost inevitable 
result would be, sooner or later, a deadly war. 
. . . But they made a magnanimous use of their 
superiority. An enemy who submitted was at 
once spared." 

Of the closing years of Hiawatha's life there 
is no further record than that he spent his time 
in clearing away entanglements in the great 
waterways of the Iroquois. This is probably a 
figurative way of saying that he spent his last 
years cementing the union between the Five 
Tribes by getting rid of ancient feuds and inter- 
tribal jealousies, and as far as possible making 
the clan bond a power for union. 

The literature that has grown out of the story 
of Hiawatha has been varied. "Mr. J. V. H. 
Clark, in his interesting History of Onondaga^ 



xxiv The Historical Hiawatha 

makes the name of Hiawatha to have been origi- 
nally Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, and describes the bearer 
as 'the deity who presides over fisheries and hunt- 
ing grounds.' He came down from Heaven in 
a white canoe, and after sundry adventures, which 
remind one of the labors of Hercules, assumed 
the name of Hiawatha and dwelt for the time as 
an ordinary mortal among men, occupied in 
works of benevolence. Finally, after founding 
the confederacy and bestowing many prudent 
councils upon the people, he returned to the skies 
in the same conveyance in which he had de- 
scended. This legend, or rather, congeries of in- 
termingled legends, was communicated by Clark 
to Schoolcraft, when the latter was compiling his 
Notes on the Iroquois. Mr. Schoolcraft, says 
Horatio Hale, pleased with the poetical cast of 
the story and the euphonious name, made con- 
fusion worse confounded by transferring the hero 
to a distant region and identifying him with 
Manabozho, a fantastic divinity of the Ojibways. 
Schoolcraft's volume, which he chose to entitle 
The Hiawatha Legends, has not in it a single 
fact or fiction relating either to Hiawatha him- 
self or to the Iroquois deity. . . . Wild O jib way 
stories concerning Manabozho and his comrades 
form the staple of its contents. But it is to this 
collection that we owe the charming poem of 
Longfellow; and thus, by an extraordinary for- 
tune, a grave Iroquois lawgiver of the fifteenth 
century has become, in modern literature, an 



The Historical Hiawatha xxv 

Ojibway demigod, son of the West Wind, and 
companion of the tricksy Paupukkeewis, the 
boastful lagoo, and the strong Kwasind. If a 
Chinese traveler, during the middle ages, in- 
quiring into the history and religion of the west- 
ern nations, had confounded King Alfred with 
King Arthur, and both with Odin, he would not 
have made a more preposterous confusion of 
names and characters than that which has hitherto 
disguised the genuine personality of the great 
Onondaga reformer." ^ 

Thanks to the work of Morgan, Beauchamp, 
Parker, Hewett, the Jesuit Fathers, and many 
other writers in the Iroquois field, a considerable 
literature has grown up that bears indisputable 
witness of the gifted race that once possessed 
most of the country that is now New York 
State. 

^ The Iroquois Book of Rites, page 36. 



1 N w a 



"V^o 



5^-^^ 




PART ONE 

The Childhood and Youth of White Eagle 



t' 



THE 

HERO OF THE LONGHOUSE 

CHAPTER ONE 

THE BIRTH OF WHITE EAGLE 

Nearly five hundred years ago in Ka-na-ta- 
go-wa, the chief village of the Onondagas, a child 
was born to Wa-un-da-na of the Turtle Clan and 
the young Wolf Chieftain, On-di-ya-ka. The 
little one opened his eyes to the light on a March 
day that was mixed with sunshine and blustering 
storm. 

He was the first child of his parents. When 
seven suns had passed, the wise Hu-na-dan-lu, 
keeper of the faith, came to bless the child and to 
ask Ha-wen-ni-yu, the Great Ruler, to give 
the little one long life and strength and wisdom. 

In the door of the longhouse stood Waundana 
holding the babe in her arms. By her side was 
her mother, Sha-we-nis. Both were dressed in 
new garments. Standing before the doorway 
Hunadanlu raised his right hand toward the sky 
and in a loud, clear voice said : 

"Ye sun, moon, stars, all ye that move in the 
heavens, I bid you hear me. Into your midst has 
come a new life. Consent ye, I implore ! Make 
its path smooth that it may reach the brow of the 
first hill. 

"Ye winds, clouds, rain, mist, all ye that move 
in the air, I bid you hear me. Into your midst 



2 The Hero of the Longhouse 

has come a new life. Consent ye, I implore! 
Make its path smooth that it may reach the brow 
of the second hill. 

"Ye hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, trees, grasses, 
all ye of the earth, I bid you hear me. Into your 
midst has come a new life. Consent ye, I im- 
plore! JNIake its path smooth that it may reach 
the brow of the third hill. 

"Ye birds, great and small, that dwell in the 
forest, ye insects that creep among the grasses 
and burrow in the ground, I bid you hear me. 
Into your midst has come a new life. Consent ye, 
I implore! ]\Iake its path smooth, that it may 
reach the brow of the fourth hill. 

"All ye of the heavens, all ye of the air, all ye 
of the earth, I bid you all to hear me. Into your 
midst has come a new life. Consent ye, consent 
ye all, I implore! Make its path smooth, — then 
shall it travel beyond the four hills. "^ 

Always Hunadanlu prayed for a blessing on 
the little children born into the clan of the Turtle. 
But today he lingered after the prayer and 
looked long and earnestly into the clear eyes of 
the little child before him. Suddenly he spoke to 
Waundana, the mother, and told her of a dream 
that had been sent him. 

He said: "Ky-e-a-ha, my Daughter, seven suns 
ago at the dawn hour, Hunadanlu dreamed that 

^ From the rite of cliild blessing of the Omaha Indians. 
Fletcher, Report of Bureau of Ethnology, No. XXVII. The four 
hills signify childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. 




"The wise Himadanlu, keeper of the faith, came to 
bless the child" 



4 The Hero of the Longhouse 

he sat within the longhouse of the Turtles, look- 
ing on a young eagle that stood there. The eagle 
was as white as the snows of winter, and his eyes 
held the fire of Ka-ga-gwa, the sun. 

"As Hunadanlu looked, the white eagle grew 
large. Then it lifted itself upon its wings and 
flew out through the door of the lodge. Long it 
circled above the forest and lake, and thrice it 
alighted. But each time that it alighted a huge 
bird as black as night darted down and drove it 
forth. Hunadanlu could not tell whence this 
bird of night came, but where it alighted, the 
darkness settled. 

"At last the white eagle flew towards the sun's 
rising. But soon he returned bringing with him 
a strange bird of wondrous swiftness. The two 
birds called aloud as they flew, and immediately 
from west and south and east, a great company of 
eagles gathered. The air resounded with their 
cries, and the noise of their wings was like the 
sound of O-ah, the wind, passing over a forest of 
pine trees. 

"Listen, my Daughter. That company of 
eagles sat down together in council and in their 
midst was the great white bird with eyes of light. 
Straightway the smoke of the peace pipe began 
to ascend from the council fire. Never was there 
seen such a peace smoke. At first it arose in 
billowing clouds toward the Great Ruler; then, 
as if the sacred smoke had received a breath from 
the sky world, it began to drift eastward and 



The Birth of White Eagle 5 

southward and westward. Hunadanlu said in his 
dream, 'At last the smoke of Ah-so-qua-ta, the 
peace pipe, covers the earth.' 

"My Daughter, continue to hsten. Huna- 
danlu awoke in the joy of that dream and 
straightway lighted the pipe that its smoke might 
arise in sign of thanksgiving to the Master of 
Life. Even as the smoke from his pipe ascended 
toward the Great Ruler, Shawenis came to say 
that a son was born to thee, my Daughter. Now 
as Hunadanlu looks on the child, his heart tells 
him that this is the white eagle of his dream." 

Then Waundana answered: "I-han-i, my 
Father, his name shall be White Eagle, and may 
his life fulfill the dream-promise." 

There was uilwonted stir about the little White 
Eagle, for the chieftains and wise men had de- 
cided to move the village to a new site on the west 
side of the Ga-sun-to.' They had chosen a place 
on high ground that could be easily defended and 
where the soil was light and fertile. Here would 
be a stronghold against the enemy, plenty of 
water, and an abundance of maize. 

Every longhouse of the village was filled with 
the noise of moving. The mother of AVhite 
Eagle was packing for the journey to the new 
village. She had fur coverings and robes to 
carry, well-woven mats to roll, jars of earthen- 
ware to protect, and many implements of stone 
and bone to take. Some of these things were 

^ Jamesville Creek. 



6 The Hero of the Longhouse 

packed in large hulling baskets or barrels of elm 
bark, and everything was fastened securely in a 
strong burden frame. 

As she passed the fireside of Waundana, the 
busy Shawenis stopped to speak to her daughter. 
Like many of the older people she was heavy- 
hearted, for the walls of the longhouse were filled 
with memories and spoke to her with eloquent 
voice. She said: "It is hard to turn away from 
the council fire and know that it will never burn 
again in the old, sacred place." 

But the hearts of the young in the longhouse of 
the Turtle were full of expectation, and all were 
eager to set forth to the new village. 

Just before the people left the old town. White 
Eagle from his cradle-board looked on at a feast 
that was given to the youth of the village. When 
the feast was ended, the young peoj^le went to 
the new clearing and began the work of building 
the new town. They took strong saplings forked 
at one end and set them firmly in the ground. 
Upon the forks they placed cross-poles and 
fastened them with withes. They covered this 
frame with bark boards, lapping them over each 
other like shingles. Then they set up an external 
frame of poles along the sides and across the 
rafters and fastened it to the inner frame so as 
to hold the bark boards in their places. 

So swiftly was the work done, that in two days 
the longhouses were ready to be finished within. 
Every house had a doorway at either end; its 



The Birth of White Eagle 7 

length depended upon the number of fires it was 
to hold. In the long passage stretching from 
door to door, five or six fires would burn, and 
each fire would have a family on either side. 
JMany a house stretched away for more than a 
hundred feet, waiting to hold the fires of one 
great clan-family. 

One day White Eagle was carried to the new 
Kanatagowa. For many hours each day his 
cradle-board, the ga-ose-ha, hung from the high 
branch of a tree where he was safe from Ho-ty-o- 
ne, the wolf. Here he himg, wrapped in a soft 
beaver skin, swaying gently with the bending 
branches when Oah, the wind, passed by. Above 
him Ar-o-se-a, the squirrel, ran about on his airy 
highways and jumped from branch to branch, or 
sat motionless and alert and stared at White 
Eagle. 

It was the moon of maize planting. Up and 
down the fields the women went, their pleasant 
talk mingling with the songs and calls of birds. 
Often the careful eyes of Waundana turned 
toward the oak tree where White Eagle hung, 
and often she came to speak to her little child. 
One day, just before she reached the oak, she 
heard the whiz of an arrow and saw it strike the 
tree close to the head of White Eagle. A boy 
hurried from the edge of the woods, sprang up 
the tree, and plucked out the arrow. For a mo- 
ment he paused, gazing intently into the steady 
eyes of White Eagle ; then he disappeared in the 



8 The Hero of the Longhouse 

forest. Swiftly and silently he had come and 
gone. He was Ato-tar-ho, son of the war chief- 
tain ; Atotarho, the shrewd and willful. He had 
tried to see how near to the head of White Eagle 
he could shoot his arrow without hitting. 

When he was gone, the startled Waundana 
took White Eagle in her arms as if she would 
shelter him from evil. Holding him close she 
hurried quickly away. In her heart was a strange 
premonition; it whispered that in future days 
Atotarho would bring sore trouble to White 
Eagle. 



CHAPTER TWO 

WINTER IN THE LONGHOUSE 

All winter the warm fires burned in the long- 
house where dwelt the great clan-family to which 
White Eagle belonged. Sometimes the cold 
winds swept the forest and beat against it with 
angry voices. Then the people said, "Da-jo-ji, 
the west wind, is abroad, Dajoji, the panther, 
whose breath brings the tempest." 

Then Waundana laid more fagots on the fire 
and brought the cradle-board, the gaoseha, of the 
little White Eagle close to the warm blaze. 

"Thou shalt not fear the harsh voice of Dajoji, 
my child. See how Od-jis-ta lights up the long- 
house and drives the darkness away. She will 
blow on White Eagle with her warm breath and 
sing to him a pleasant song." 

Through all the long winter Odjista, the fire, 
lighted the long bark house and cheered the hearts 
of its people. The snow came and silently 
wrapped the rough bark house in a warm white 
blanket. It drifted through the forest and 
feathered the pine trees. It made a white lake of 
the maize fields. But within the house there were 
gathered dried flesh and fish, and stores of nuts 
and beans. The sustaining maize filled the bark 
barrels and hung from the dark rafters by 
braided ropes. 

There was unwonted quiet in the half -deserted 
longhouse, for the warriors had departed to the 
distant hunting grounds. The women employed 



10 The Hero of the Longhouse 

their bone needles in making embroidered mocca- 
sins, strong leggings, or the warm overdress of 
skins ; the men worked on bone and stone. 

One day when Dajoji, the west wind, was cry- 
ing about the longhouse, Waundana took "White 
Eagle on a visit to some of his clan-folk. At the 
first fire sat Ga-nius-ka, who was called the Stone 
Giant. He was the uncle of Waundana. Gani- 
uska labored for long hours patiently shaping 
and polishing a heavy ax of granite. His fingers 
were strong and deft, and in the dim light of the 
longhouse they seemed almost to see, so quick 
were they to feel when the stone had yielded to 
his will. Ganiuska was ready and wise in 
choosing the fittest stone for his purpose. He 
knew the rocks and ledges and boulders in open 
and forest, and the pebbles on the sandy beach. 
He loved his work far better than the hunting of 
the warriors ; it filled his thoughts and his speech. 
He said to Waundana : 

"Before the cold moons are ended, Ganiuska 
will shape a fine ax of granite. Then in the 
summer he will polish it smooth and lustrous." 

The thought of the finished work nerved the 
arm of Ganiuska to new skill and power. He 
said : 

"Soon the little White Eagle will come to the 
Stone Giant to beg him to make a small bow or 
a fine snow snake. No one but Ganiuska shall 
shape the first bow of White Eagle." 

At another fire was the seat of Ho-do-an-jo, 



Winter in the Longhouse 11 

the old arrow maker. The form of Hodoanjo 
was bent and his face was deep-furrowed. His 
aged eyes could no longer see to work in the 
dimness of the longhouse. 

Waundana brought Hodoanjo a steaming 
bowl of hulled corn. She called him Ti-so-te, 
grandfather. The old man said: 

"The heart of Hodoanjo is filled with longing, 
waiting for the coming of spring. Then he will 
sit under his great pine tree and again the flint 
chips will fly from the point of his bone flaker. 
Then the chieftains and warriors will come to 
praise him for the arrows that shall fill up their 
quivers." 

At the central fireside sat Shawenis. She was 
the mother of Waundana, and of Ho-sa-ha-ho, 
the chieftain of the Turtle Clan throughout 
Onondaga. She was the wise w^oman of her house 
and the greatest medicine woman of the Onon- 
dagas. The words of Shawenis were repeated at 
the council fire, and she was one of the Ro-yan- 
ers, the noble women who elected the chieftains. 

That day Shawenis took White Eagle in her 
arms and looked long and earnestly into his 
steady eyes. Something seemed to tell her that 
this child would sometime be a great leader of his 
people. She recalled the dream of Hunadanlu, 
the friend of man, and silently thanked the 
Master of Life for the child's strength and 
promise. 

Dear to the heart of Waundana was the fire- 



12 The Hero of the Longhouse 

side of her uncle, Hunadanlu. Here the children 
of the longhouse listened for hours to the stories 
that fell from his magic lips. He told of the 
Stone Giants, of the Monster Bear, and the 
Horned Serpent; he told of the wise Little 
People, and of Ga-do-waas and his starry belt. 
But when Waundana came bringing White 
Eagle, she asked him to tell the story of Ata-en- 
sic, the Sky Mother, the story that held the faith 
of her people. 

At once Hunadanlu began: "Kyeaha, my 
Daughter, listen. In one of the lodges in the 
upper world lived a maiden who bore the name 
Ataensic. One day her father said: 'Thou hast 
been promised to the chief, He-That-Holds-the- 
Earth. The time has come when thou must make 
the journey to his lodge. Do thou have courage, 
for thy pathway is terrifying throughout its 
course. When thou hast gone one half of thy 
journey, thou wilt come to a river. Thou shalt 
quickly cross the river and pass on without 
pause. 

" 'Soon thou wilt see a large field. Thou wilt 
see there, moreover, a lodge, and there beside the 
lodge stands the Shining Tree. The blossoms of 
this Tree cause all that place to be light. 

" 'Within the lodge is the chief called He- 
That-Holds-the-Earth. Into his lodge shalt thou 
enter, and on him shalt thou bestow thy gift of 
bread.' 

"That same sun, Ataensic placed her basket of 



Winter in the Longhouse 13 

bread on her back by means of the forehead strap, 
and departed. 

"The maiden was filled with magic power, and 
so swift were her feet that soon she came to the 
field where stood the lodge and the Tree-That- 
Lights-the- World. She entered the lodge and 
there the chief He-That-Holds-the-Earth re- 
ceived the gift of bread. 

"Then a Word was spoken in the heart of the 
Great Chieftain. The Word was this: 

" 'Verily, we will make a new place where an- 
other people may grow. Under the Tree-That- 
Lights-the- World is a great cloud sea. It is 
lonely. Day and night it calls, asking for light. 
The great roots of the Tree point to it. Uproot 
the Tree and verily there shall be made an open 
way to that dark world below.' 

"Straightway the Chief commanded that the 
Tree whose blossoms light the world should be 
uprooted. Moreover, he called Ataensic to his 
side, and, wrapping around her a ray of light, he 
bade her descend to the cloud sea bearing with her 
the life of the sky-world. 

"Without fear Ataensic entered that place of 
great darkness and straightway began to fall 
downward toward the boundless sea. As she fell, 
the birds and animals began to be dazzled by the 
descending light. 

" 'Something is coming! It may destroy us!' 
they cried. 

" 'Where can it rest?' asked So-ra, the Duck. 



14 The Hero of the Longhouse 

" 'Only earth, only the 0-eh-da can hold it, the 
Oehda which lies at the bottom of our waters,' 
said the Beaver. 

" 'Who will bring it?' they cried. 

" 'I will bring it,' said the Beaver. Jo-ni-to, 
the Beaver, went down, but never returned. 

"Then Sora, the Duck, said, 'I will go.' Soon 
the dead body of Sora floated on the water. 

"Then No-ji, the rnuskrat, said, 'I know the 
way to the place where the Oehda lies. I will go.' 
Noji went, and moreover he returned, bringing 
in his paw earth, the Oehda. 

"He said, 'It is heavy; it will grow fast; but 
who will bear it?' 

" 'I will bear it,' said Ha-nu-na, the Turtle. 

"The Oehda was placed on the broad back of 
Hanuna, the Great Turtle, and there it grew to 
be an island. 

"Guided by the glow, the water birds flew up- 
wards from the island and receiving Ataensic on 
their widespread wings, they bore her down to the 
back of the Turtle. Then across the broad land 
and far out on the cloudy sea a beautiful dawn- 
light broke. 

"The island was still dim in the dawn of its 
new life when Ataensic heard two voices under 
her heart, — one peaceful and patient, one rest- 
less and cruel. 

"As the being with the harsh voice entered the 
world of light, a wail of sorrow and pain broke 
across the cloudy sea. When the right-born en- 



Winter in the LongJiouse 15 

tered life, great waves of light pulsated swiftly 
over the world. The first was Ha-gwe-da-et-ga, 
the Bad Mind; the second, Ha-gw^e-di-yu, the 
Good Mind, the Holder-of-the-Heavens. 

"Both went forth into the new^ world. Every- 
where Hagwedaetga put forth his hand to de- 
stroy the good and to create evil. Everywhere 
Hagwediyu created good things, and all these 
things he made beautiful. 

"Then a strife arose between the two in which 
Hagwediyu conquered. He shut the Bad Mind 
in a dark cave far below the earth, there to dwell 
forever. Then truly, Hagwediyu reigned alone 
in the new world of light. 

"But Ataensic, the Sky Mother, was dead — 
killed by the rough hand of Hagwedaetga." 

The story of Ataensic came to Waundana with 
a strange, new meaning. Quickly she bade fare- 
well to Hunadanlu and returned to her own 
fireside. Seating herself on the ground, she held 
White Eagle close to her bosom. She put out 
her hand and reverently touched Yo-an-ja, the 
earth, as something filled with wonder. Her heart 
whispered, "It is a marvelous thing that beneath 
me and my child is the same earth that was 
formed to hold the Sky Woman, to be the home 
of Ataensic, the First jNIother." 

Thus musing, Waundana wrapped the little 
White Eagle in a soft beaver skin, put on her 
snowshoes, swung the gaoseha to her back, 
placed the burden strap across her forehead, and 
went out into the world of light. 



16 The Hero of the Longhouse 

That same day the warriors returned from the 
distant hunting fields. 

At once all was astir in the village. Again the 
children looked on the faces of their fathers, and 
there was glad welcome among all these kinsfolk. 
Ondiyaka, the young chief of the Wolf Clan, 
hastened to find Waundana and White Eagle, 
and as he looked on them he said, "Ne-a-weh, I 
am thankful." 

Straightway the women went forth to bring in 
the game. When all had eaten of the fresh veni- 
son, they gathered at the fireside and listened to 
long stories of the chase. 

At last a deep quiet settled on the longhouse. 
Fainter and fainter Odjista burned, dimly light- 
ing the rafters of the bark house where slept the 
children of one great family, — they who dwelt 
together because thej^ were akin, a line descended 
from one far-off Mother. 



CHAPTER THREE 

ADVENTURES OF CHILDHOOD 

Seven winters passed. A busy life was going on 
at Kanatagowa. The open about the village had 
been enlarged. With great wooden rakes, the 
women brought together the underbrush from 
the men's cutting and burned it. Then came the 
plowing, when mothers and maidens trooped to 
the fields with their wooden hoes and broke up 
the soil, making it ready for the seed. When the 
red-winged blackbird had appeared and the dog- 
wood leaf was the size of the ear of a squirrel, 
they began the work of planting. The corn had 
been soaked in a steeping of herbs, so that the 
young sprouts were ready to burst. Now all the 
children eagerly watched Ga-ga, the crow — for 
if Gaga ate these kernels he would grow dizzy, 
and flutter about and frighten the other birds 
from the fields. Among these Onondaga children 
was the little White Eagle. 

The boy had grown like a young sapling seek- 
ing the sunlight. Fearless and swift, he roamed 
open and forest. If danger threatened, he ran 
like the deer, timid Ska-non-do, or climbed aloft 
to the tree tops like Arosea, the squirrel. He 
could hide in the grasses and bushes like Kaw-e- 
sea, the partridge; or like Gain- j eh, the fish, he 
could silently swim and dive in the pools of the 
river. 

He knew the paths of the wood; he could 
thread the deep haunts of the neighboring forest. 

17 



18 The Hero of the Longhouse 

He had sounded the ponds and the pools of the 
Gasunto. He had learned the lurking places of 
the fish ; he knew their food and their seasons for 
spawning. Something he knew of the wolf and 
the bear and the wild deer. But he was far wiser 
in the ways of the birds, the chipmunks, the 
squirrels, and the timid burrowing creatures. 

He knew the hammer of Kwa-a, the wood- 
pecker, and the haunts of O-ho-wa, the owl. He 
loved the honk of Sora, the duck, and the distant 
cry of Ote-an-yea, the eagle. For hours he 
looked and listened while the blackbirds held their 
noisy councils. For hours, while the women 
worked in the maize field, he watched Gaga, the 
crow, noisy, but cunning and wary. 

One day when the maize fields were green with 
young blades a span high, White Eagle emerged 
from the longhouse filled with a new purpose. 
Before Kagagwa, the sun, disappeared in the 
west sky, he would find some trace of the Elf 
Folk. 

At first he threaded the stream side. Then he 
went to the wood's edge, where unobserved he 
could watch the maize field. He was saying to 
himself: "I must watch closely, for they are 
smaller than the youngest baby. My grand- 
mother says that they began their work a long 
time ago, when the Earth Mother was full of 
trouble. The frosts had pinched her fruits and 
blighted her grains with mildew. Her fishes in 
lakes and rivers were foolish in finding shelter. 



Adventures of Childhood 19 

The breath of great monsters that roamed the 
forest poisoned the springs and streams. All 
this was the work of Hagwedaetga. He had 
brought all this evil to the earth before he was 
conquered by Hagwediyu. 

"Then the Little People, the Jo-ga-o, came to 
help the Earth Mother. Although they were the 
smallest of creatures, they were mighty in 
strength and courage, and in number beyond all 
counting. I have heard my grandmother, Sha- 
wenis, say that, although their hands are tiny as 
the claws of Noji, the muskrat, they can do all 
manner of work and even fight stoutly in battle." 

For a long time White Eagle watched the 
maize field. He said: "The Elves are very busy 
now, for the seeds are growing so fast they are 
bursting their blankets. My grandmother says 
that these Elves talk to the suffering seeds. They 
say, 'Do not complain, — what harm if you lose 
your old blankets! If you are patient and gi'ow, 
you will soon make yourselves new ones. Only 
send your roots downward, only push your 
plumes upward !' When the little seeds listen to 
the voices of the Elf Folk and obey their words, 
they grow wisely and well." 

At last White Eagle began to search the 
ground along the forest edge. He had been told 
that some of the Elves go into the earth far below, 
where there are deep forests and wide plains. 
Into this dim underworld they drive all the living 
creatures that injure men beings, and with their 



20 The Hero of the Lo7ighouse M 

stout bows and arrows they keep guard over 
them there. White Eagle longed to see the dim 
underground plains where the white buffaloes 
range, — the huge white buffaloes that break 
down the forests. 

Today White Eagle's eyes were bright with 
wonder. He said: "These mischievous buffaloes 
are always looking for paths to the earth's sur- 
face, for they wish to roam in the sunlit world 
with their brown brothers. Sometimes they all 
rush together toward an opening. Then the Elf 
warriors rally to meet them, and so sharp are 
their swift arrows that the herd is always driven 
backward. These Elves are the bravest of the 
Little People. They are always fighting and 
scouting, always watching the poisonous crea- 
tures that do the work of Hagwedaetga." 

White Eagle found a tree that had been up- 
rooted. He threw himself on the ground and 
tried to peer downward into earth's darkness, but 
he could not even find one of the tiny Elf trails by 
which the Little People climbed to the Light- 
World. 

Then a sudden thought came to him. He re- 
membered that the Little People visited the 
forest by moonlight. They held their festivals 
about some giant tree, and around that tree the 
grass would not grow thereafter. If he could 
find one of the Elf trees, he would know it by 
that sign. 

He searched the wood, until he came to a place 




*'He longed to tell his mother the secret' 



22 The Hero of the Longhouse 

where a great pine tree grew. Then his heart 
beat loudly for not a blade of grass was there! 
He had found the mysterious tree, the dancing 
placeof the Elf Folk! 

He hurried home and found Waundana, who 
was returning with his father, Ondiyaka, from 
the maize fields. He longed to tell his mother 
the secret, but well he knew that some bug 
or bird might be listening. He longed to ask 
Shawenis to repeat those legends once more. 
But lie must wait for the winter, since he knew 
well that in summer some animal might hear and 
become entranced; then when the snow fell it 
might forget to go back to its winter home. Even 
the vine that crept over the door of the longhouse 
might listen so eagerly that it would forget to 
let down its sap before the frost came, and so it 
would perish. The bird singing in the tree above 
the door might listen and in his wonder forget 
the sun-way to the south and die in the first snow. 

Xo, White Eagle knew well that he must wait 
for winter. Then he could tell of the Elf tree; 
then he could listen again to the wonderful tales 
of the Little People. 

A busy life went on about the child while he 
patiently kept his secret day after day. The 
harvest came, when the maidens and mothers of 
Onondaga walked through the fields of tall maize, 
stripping the ears from the standing corn and 
throwing it over their shoulders into great har- 
vesting baskets. This was followed by huskings 



Adventures of Childhood 23 

held in the white moonlight. Then a roaring fire 
of sumac brush was kindled, and in the warm 
glow young and old together plied the merry 
work. 

In the mild days of October, when the forests 
were bright with color, the women gathered roots 
and herbs. Then White Eagle learned from 
Shawenis, his grandmother, which plants were 
good or bad, which were poisonous or fit for 
food, and which would bring healing in sickness. 

With his mother, Waundana, he entered the 
wood's edge w^hen with others she came to gather 
faggots for the winter's fire. They would go 
farther and farther into the forest to find the 
faggots they wanted; for winter, the fierce Ko- 
sa-ge, might tarry long and then many fires must 
burn, so much wood must be gathered. 

Winter came at last, bringing its sports and 
its long hours of story telling. Then indeed 
White Eagle again heard stories of the Little 
People and questioned his grandmother about 
the Elf trees. Very proud he was when she 
listened gravely to his secret and agreed that he 
might have found one of the trees where the Elves 
held their dances. 

But as spring approached, the people became 
eager for the coming journey to the sugar en- 
campment. When the moon of maple sugar 
came, White Eagle forgot the Elf Folk for a 
little in his eager desire to depart for the groves 
of maple. At last the promised day of departure 



24 The Hero of the Longhouse 

dawned. Early in the morning the delighted 
children scrambled to the roofs of the longhouses, 
their favorite perches for observation. As one 
household after another was ready, the young- 
sters descended and obediently took their places 
among their own clan-folk. 

By the time the sun reached midheaven, every 
longhouse save one was deserted. A warrior of 
the Turtles had come from a neighboring village 
to ask Shawenis to dress a wound that was heal- 
ing badly. To the mind of the impatient White 
Eagle this process had been a long one. 

Finally, however, the company of Turtles were 
gathered before the door of their longhouse and 
White Eagle descended from the roof and joined 
his mother. 

Waundana said to him: "I-yea-ha, my son, Ka- 
gagwa is in the west sky. We must make the trail 
swiftly. Do thou keep close beside me through- 
out the course." 

In an hour they were tracking through a forest 
unknown to White Eagle. While his feet kept 
pace with his mother, his eager eyes searched the 
woodlands and streams or followed a rock ledge 
where eagles nested. Sometimes he swiftly 
climbed a tree that he might see farther, but 
always he descended in time to make the rear of 
the party and rejoin Waundana. Clan discipline 
was strict ; it did not allow him to separate from 
his company for a moment. 

The light of the low western sun was making 



Adventures of Childhood 25 

long pathways through the bare forests when 
White Eagle heard Shawenis say, — "Our 
people will reach the encampment before Ka- 
gagwa passes under the rim of the west sky." 
Immediately after, he heard the distant cries of 
waterfowls. Soon they were passing close to the 
shores of a wooded lake alive with flocks of wild 
geese and ducks. Near at hand, White Eagle 
saw a pair of white swans. 

Noiselessly he slipped into the bushes where 
he could watch them for a moment. A little later, 
when he returned to the trail, he found himself 
alone. His company had passed. 

With every sense alert the boy began to track 
them. He had not gone ten paces when just 
ahead a twig snapped. White Eagle leaped to 
the nearest tree, just in time to escape the spring 
of a gray wolf whose teeth grazed one foot and 
carried away a moccasin. Safe in the branches, 
the child shouted to call the attention of his kins- 
kolk. His voice was lost in the quacking and 
calling of water birds. With a disappointed snarl, 
the gray wolf settled to watch his prey. 

White Eagle looked down on his foe with 
sagacious understanding. He said to himself: 
"Hotyone is wary. He saw me leave the com- 
pany and circled to cut me off." The boy's sense 
of danger was mixed with the thought of the 
trouble he had brought on his mother, and of the 
displeasure that would be visited on himself for 
disobeying the law of the trail that prohibited 
straggling. 



26 The Hero of the Longliouse 

But thought of clan displeasure soon vanished, 
for in the approaching twilight he heard a wolf 
bark in the distance; the gray wolf below lifted 
his head and answered. Soon Hotyone was 
joined by one and then another of his pack. 

The hope that possessed White Eagle began 
to fade as he watched the snarling, leaping wolves 
below him. Long ago the party must have 
reached camp. Evidently his mother had not 
missed him, and all night he would be left alone 
in the forest. 

It was dark now. The grandmother moon be- 
gan to shine in midheaven. When the boy looked 
down he could see nothing but the glaring eyes 
of the hungry watchers below him. Suddenly, 
in an instant they were gone, and then he saw 
lights moving through the forest. Soon a party 
of his clan-folk appeared on the trail below. 

Chagrined and silent, White Eagle slipped 
from the tree, recovered his moccasin, and took 
his place beside his mother. Waundana uttered 
the single word, "Neaweh, I am thankful." 
From the company there were low exclamations 
of satisfaction mixed with words of disapproval. 

That evening White Eagle squatted beside the 
camp fire with the other children, who were 
eagerly listening to the story telling. But he did 
not listen. Nor did he remember the stern re- 
buke of Shawenis, the Clan Mother, so filled was 
he w^ith the blessed sense of fellowship. He 
might be ringed by the black forest where now 



Adventures of Childhood 27 

and then an owl called or a wolf cried, but he was 
safe and secure because he was with his own 
people. Their strength was his protection. 

The next day White Eagle watched the women 
with their stone axes cutting the bark of the 
maple trees and driving in the hardwood chips 
from which the sap dripped into elm-bark basins. 

A little later, he kept watch with the other boys 
at a fire where the sap was boiling. Very often 
with his wooden spoon he dropped the syrup on 
snow and tasted it to see if it was ready to sugar. 

Again, he w^atched the little ones hanging in 
their cradle-boards from the tree branches. Not 
once did the sap boiling allure him from this 
charge, for he was filled with a new sense of the 
cunning of Hotyone, filled with a new conviction 
of the wisdom of clan regulations. Was he not 
keeping a trust imposed by the Clan JMother? 
The gray wolf had taught White Eagle two 
great lessons, — the need of clan protection and 
the wisdom of keeping the clan laws. 



CHAPTER FOUR 

THE TEACHING OF HUNADANLU 

OxE evening in autumn, Hunadanlu, the friend 
of man, came to his seat under the tall pine tree 
that stood at the western door of the longhouse. 
Here he found Hodoanjo, the old arrow maker, 
sitting by a pile of flint chips struck off by his 
good bone flaker. 

Overhead a flock of geese were honking as 
they flew southward. From the open sounded 
the voices of women and little children. A hunter 
passed close to the pine tree on his way home 
from the forest. From the longhouse White 
Eagle came to find Hodoanjo. The old man was 
bent with age, and now that the night was com- 
ing he must seek the shelter of his fireside. The 
boy led him to the door of the bark house and 
guided his footsteps through its dimness to the 
warm covered couch that was waiting. 

When White Eagle returned he squatted be- 
side Hunadanlu and said, "Tisote, Grandfather, 
tell the story of the journey of the great sun, 
Kagagwa." 

For a moment there was silence save for the 
voices of the women returning from the maize 
fields. Then Hunadanlu began the story. 

"Listen, White Eagle. Before the sun ap- 
pears, the east sky reddens to greet him, and 
Wan-da, the light, fills the underworld that we 
live in. Slowly the mighty sun travels along the 
underside of the great sky-arch, bringing An-da, 

28 



The Teaching of Hunadanlu 29 

the day; so he is Anda Kagagwa, the day-sun. 
At the end of his path he goes under the western 
edge of the sky-arch and begins his journey in 
the world above us. As he leaves us, So-a, the 
night, draws near and covers the world with dark- 
ness. Then out of the sky we see another sun 
looking upon us. It is the night-sun, the grand- 
mother moon, the gentle Soa Kagagwa, who 
comes to lighten the darkness." 

When Hunadanlu had finished, White Eagle 
said: "My Grandfather, some day I will take my 
bow and arrows and travel to the edge of the 
earth toward the sun's setting. Then when the 
great Kagagwa goes under the rim of the western 
sky, I will follow him and enter the upper world 
to see its brave people." 

Hunadanlu answered: "Not one of the Real 
Men would dare do it ! For there is a great sea 
at the sun's rising and another at the sun's set- 
ting. Into the waters of this sea the vast sky-arch 
dips. It rises only a little to let the sun pass 
under." 

Then Hunadanlu pointed to the pattern 
worked by Waundana on the gaoseha of his little 
sister, Ga-wen-ne-ta. It showed the Tree of 
Light that grows in the upper world. Together 
they traced the embroidered pattern on the 
breechcloth of White Eagle. It showed the sun 
shining above the great World Tree. White 
Eagle discovered that the single twining branches 
of the Tree of Liffht were worked in each of his 



30 The Hero of the Longhouse 

moccasins. The boy was pleased when he saw 
that he wore every day the sign of the sky world. 

As the stars appeared, Hunadanlu showed 
White Eagle the wonders of the night sky. He 
pointed to the loon that guides the night runner 
in summer and the celestial bear that guides him 
in winter. He pointed out the seven star brothers 
that teach men to hold together in friendship. 

He said: "The Master of Life made men- 
beings brothers. He made the earth to be the 
home of all, he made its stores of flesh and fruit 
and corn for all. Its abundance of bark and 
wood, its treasures of shells and stones belong to 
all. So it is pleasing to the Great Ruler for man 
to share all good things with his brother." 

As Hunadanlu spoke, White Eagle suddenly 
understood why the harvest of corn was equally 
divided and why, when need came, villages shared 
with each other. 

The boy was silent for a moment, then he 
asked: "My Grandfather, has the Great Ruler 
made these good things for the Cherokee people 
also?" 

Hunadanlu answered: "Na-ho. I have spoken. 
The Master of Life made these good things for 
the Cherokee people also." 

In the silence that followed, Hunadanlu mused 
on the question of White Eagle. Then a group 
of children emerged from the longhouse and 
gathered close to Hunadanlu, silently asking for 
a storv. The voice of Ohowa, the owl, sounded 




"Hunadanlu began the story' 



32 The Hero of the Longhouse 

from the darkened forest. At once Hunadanlu 
spoke of Ohowa, the night watcher, who flies with 
noiseless wings through the forest. Ohowa 
watches while man sleeps and comes near to warn 
him when danger threatens. 

Afterward he told them of Oteanyea, the 
eagle. "My Children, Oteanyea is the great air 
chieftain. It is he that soars highest of all the 
birds so that he can speak with the powers that 
are above. Oteanyea is mighty and fearless. At 
one glance his eyes see the distant and near in 
one picture. My Children, ye should have the 
eyes of Oteanyea, the eagle." 

He told of Sora, the duck, the great air scout 
and pathfinder. He said: "Unerringly Sora 
finds his way through the pathless air, he knows 
all the lakes and rivers, and his trail is always 
hidden. Ra-dix-aa, my Children, be like Sora: 
learn to know well all the paths by land and water 
and to leave no trace of your passing." 

And White Eagle remembered the words of 
Hunadanlu. He learned to be silent and wary, 
for Wan-ah-sa, the tongue, could be noisy and 
foolish. He learned to meet surprises without 
sound or movement, and to endure pain and 
hunger in silence. He trained four good com- 
rades to work for him: the first of these was O- 
han-ta, the ear; the second, Ok-a-ra, the eye; the 
third, On-yo-sa, the nose ; the fourth, Yees-noon- 
ga, the hand. 

One day there was unwonted stir in Kanata- 



The Teaching of Hunadanlu 33 

gowa. Atotarho, the young war chieftain, had 
returned from the Cherokee country. From the 
roof of the longhouse the children saw the war 
party enter in triumph, bringing three Cherokee 
captives. From all sides they heard loud shouts 
of victory; but a little later these shouts were 
mixed with wails of mourning from the Wolf 
Clan. One of the Wolf warriors had fallen in 
battle, and his body lay far away dishonored and 
unburied. A Cherokee captive was given to the 
mother of the dead warrior. At once she com- 
manded that he be tortured to avenge the death 
of her son. 

The next morning the youthful Cherokee was 
bound to a stake and the boys of the village were 
commanded to shoot him. They were placed at 
a good distance and took their turns in shooting. 
Proud was the boy whose arrow reached the 
mark and won the praise of Atotarho and the 
plaudits of the onlookers. So skillful were the 
young archers that twice the distance was in- 
creased lest the captive be killed too quickly. The 
Cherokee ignored the insult of being shot at by 
the boys of the village. Bravely he withstood the 
torture and with lifted head proudly recalled all 
his deeds of valor. At nightfall, his body, 
pierced by many arrows, hung limp and bleeding. 

The next day at sunrise White Eagle hastened 
with the other boys to the place of torture. The 
young Cherokee stood with his eyes uplifted in 
worship, and soon his voice was raised in the 



34 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Death Song. As White Eagle gazed upon him 
he saw a hght in the captive's face hke the hght 
that shone from the face of Hunadanlu when he 
led the people in worship. White Eagle said in 
his heart: "Surely, the brave Cherokee's eyes are 
filled with the visions sent by the Master of 
Life!" 

Soon Atotarho appeared and placed the boys 
in order for shooting. When it came White 
Eagle's turn he purposely shot far afield. The 
movement caught the quick eye of Atotarho who 
looked at A^Tiite Eagle keenly and asked him to 
shoot at a mark still more distant. Undisturbed 
by the war chieftain's challenge, the boy quietly 
took an arrow from his quiver, carefully fitted it 
to the bow, and measured with his eye the distant 
goal. Then he lifted the bow and pierced the 
marker in the middle. Immediately he turned 
and left the circle. He fled away to the long- 
house of the Turtles. He threw down his bow in 
anger and put by the quiver of arrows. He hated 
Wa-a-no, the bow, that had sent so many arrows 
to torture the brave Cherokee in whose face the 
light of the Good Mind was shining. His heart 
was filled with shame, and in his mind strange 
questions began to stir dimly. 

From that day Wi\\ie Eagle showed an eager 
interest in tales of the Real Men, the Iroquois. 
The Onondagas were Iroquois; so were the 
Oneidas and Mohawks towards the sun's rising, 
and the Cayugas and Senecas toward the sun's 



The Teaching of Hunadanlu 35 

setting. Hunadanlu taught the children that a 
Real Man must be unsurpassed in courage and 
patience and endurance. His tongue must speak 
truly the language given to him by the JNIaster of 
Life. A Real Man scorns to avoid difficulty or 
to flee from danger. Never will he forsake a 
comrade. A Real JNIan never hesitates to speak 
the truth. He endures hunger without complain- 
ing ; he overcomes pain and endures torture with- 
out flinching. He is wise in learning from all 
the works of the Good Mind, and he obeys the 
dreams and visions sent to him by the Great 
Ruler. 

In the quiet of the forest the children discussed 
these matters with each other. They often held 
councils and made speeches that were copied from 
those of their elders. They raised up chieftains 
and bestowed on them all the marks of honor. 
Sometimes they sent out messengers to carry 
news to other peoples ; sometimes they held festi- 
vals and sacred dances. Always they were very 
careful lest they offend the Medicine Animals or 
the Elves who had outposts that were always 
watching. Every boy had a single goal before 
him, — to become a great hunter and warrior. 
The older boys imitated Atotarho, the young 
war chieftain. 

One day White Eagle came to Hunadanlu. 
There was a troubled look in the boy's question- 
ing eyes. He said: "Tisote, Grandfather, why 
do our people call themselves the Men of Men? 
Are they different from all other men?" 



36 The Hero of the Longhouse 

As Hunadanlu listened to the question, he Scaw 
that the hour had come to tell White Eagle the 
great story of the Real Men. He said : 

"lyeaha, my Son, listen to the story of your 
people. Long ago the Iroquois journeyed to the 
Ga-na-wa-ga,' the Rapid River, and because they 
were few in number they were subdued by the 
tree-eating Adirondacks, who held them in a 
cruel bondage. So long did they live in this 
bondage that children were born and became old 
men who had never known freedom. But in the 
silence of their lodges, the Real Hen taught their 
little ones to speak the langu|^e of their fore- 
fathers in secret. They taugl»|;hem the faith of 
their fathers and told them op the deeds of the 
greatest of the Real Men. So it was that in 
sUfe'^ery the people grew strong in spirit. They 
learned to endure hardships in silence, to master 
the fire of passion, and to be watchful. Thus in 
bondage they made ready for freedom. 

"Listen, lyeaha. When the Real Men learned 
that the minds of their masters were full of dark- 
ness because they feared the evil power of Ha- 
gwedaetga more than they trusted the might of 
Hagwediyu, they despised them. When the long 
work of the day was ended and the Adirondacks 
were sleeping, the Real Men held secret councils 
and determined on a way of escape. Through 
long nights of labor, they would gather a store 
of provisions and hide them in places known only 

^ The St. Lawrence. 



The Teaching of Hunadanlu 37 

to their leaders. Then when all was ready they 
would seize the canoes of the Tree Eaters and 
flee across Ska-no-da-rio ' to a far country south- 
ward. Not one of the aged, and not one of the 
women or young children should remain behind 
them; none should be left to the cruel torture. 

"The moons of many winters passed before the 
promised hour of escape came. Sometiines there 
was severe sickness among them ; sometimes their 
great leaders were absent in hunting or fishing or 
fighting; sometimes winter froze the bays so that 
Ga-o-wa, the swift canoe, could no longer swim 
the water; always their masters were suspicious 
and watchful. The aged, who for a lifetime had 
longed for freedom, died while they waited, and 
children grew to young manhood learning the 
patience of long waiting. 

"But one dark night when the face of the 
grandmother moon was hidden, three short 
knocks that were three times repeated sounded at 
the entrance of their lodges. It was the expected 
signal. The people hurried to the meeting place 
where keen-eyed scouts were watching. Here a 
hundred canoes swam the water, with the 
strongest warriors at the paddles. When the pale 
dawn broke across the wide bays at the mouth of 
the Rapid River, it saw the canoes of the Real 
Men like a distant cloud on the waters. 

"lyeaha, listen to this story of your Fathers. 
For a single sun the fleeing people rode the 

^ Lake Ontario. 



38 The Hero of the Longliouse 

waters in safety. They reached Skanodario, the 
Beautiful Lake; they saw far to the south the 
shores of a new land appearing. Then when they 
looked backward they saw the canoes of their 
pursuers like distant specks on the water. Soon 
the racing gaowa were close behind, and from 
them looked the evil faces of their masters. 

"Brave was the battle of the Men of Men. The 
women paddled swiftly while the men fought and 
fell beside them. In that savage contest many 
canoes were overturned, giving to the waters of 
Skanodario brave men and little children. Other 
canoes were drifting shoreward, carrying only 
the dead or sorely wounded; and canoes were 
moving onward where every warrior had fallen 
and women alone toiled at the paddles. 

"lyeaha, my son, strong is the arm of the 
warrior who fights for the freedom of his children. 
When that battle ended only a remnant of the 
Tree Eaters were fleeing; all the rest had fallen. 
Then the Real Men brought their canoes to- 
gether, sadly counted their losses, and turned 
southward where friendly lands were waiting. 

"Listen, my son. While the distressed jDcople 
eagerly watched the shores they were nearing, 
another foe appeared. The sky became dark, 
Ga-oh, the wind keeper, unleashed Dajoji, the 
panther, the west wind that brings the tempests. 
From the hissing waters of troubled Skanon- 
dario, the Horned Serpent lifted his head. The 
canoes of the terrified people were scattered like 
the leaves of wind-swept forests. Then it was 



The Teaching of Hunadanlu 39 

that our Fathers called on He-no, the thunderer, 
to save them. Then it was that our Grandfather 
Heno struck the Horned Serpent with swift 
lightning until the monster fled into the depths 
of Lake Skanondario. So Heno saved the sorely 
afflicted people and brought them to the Home- 
land at the mouth of the Oswego. 

"Listen, lyeaha. JNIany winters passed. The 
Real Men multiplied and journeyed far to the 
eastward and westward. They divided the hunt- 
ing grounds of the Homeland and built their 
council fires apart from each other. Their lan- 
guage changed, and they became five separate 
peoples. Yet are they still the Men of Men. 
lyeaha, this is the story of our Fathers. Naho, I 
have spoken." 

The near cry of Hotyone struck through the 
silence that followed. White Eagle arose with- 
out speaking, stole past the fireplace of Hodo- 
anjo, past the fireplace of his mother, and stood 
alone under the night sky. He turned his face 
to the northward ; in fancy he was looking across 
the broad waters of Skanodario, the Beautiful 
Lake; was seeking the wide bays at the head of 
the Rapid River, the Ganawaga. A single 
thought possessed him: "I belong to the Men of 
Men." And the boy seemed to grow in stature 
as he stood there, for he was filled with a sudden 
sense of power, filled with the proud knowledge 
of a noble race-blood. 

From that hour White Eagle ceased to imitate 
Atotarho when he played with the other children. 



CHAPTER FIVE 

WHITE EAGLE AND SOSONDOWEH 

One morning in midsummer two boys left Kana- 
tagowa and turned into the trail northward. 
They were in search of hickory for making snow 
snakes. Both were armed and dressed for a 
journey. Noiselessly they ran over the forest 
trail. The boy in the lead was White Eagle; the 
one who followed was his chosen comrade, So- 
son-do-weh. 

They had been running for an hour and were 
approaching an oak opening. Suddenly White 
Eagle lifted his hand in warning and both boys 
noiselessly slipped into the thicket. A few min- 
utes later they looked out from the wind- 
ward side of the open where a herd of bucks and 
does fed together. About them the frisky fawns 
were running and darting hither and thither. All 
at once the boys saw the bucks and does gather 
in a circle about their playful young ones, shut- 
ting them closer and closer until they brought 
them to order and quiet. 

That night the boys told this adventure to Ho- 
de-gweh, the great hunter. Hodegweh listened 
in silence. Then he said: "The medicine creatures 
are wise in all their ways. The beaver teaches 
men where to snare the pike and salmon and how 
to build houses that keep out the rain and frosts. 
The friendly beaver knows that men take the 
trees he fells ; he knows that men copy his flat tail 
and its movements in making paddles and send- 

40 



White Eagle and Sosondoweh 41 

ing the swift canoes across the water. But this 
does not displease the friendly Jonito, for he is 
glad to help men-beings." 

The two boys listened as Hodegweh told of 
many other creatures that helped the people. The 
bear and the wolf had shown their grandfathers 
how to follow the trail in its windings. The fox, 
the wise Jit-so, had taught them how to hide their 
footsteps, how to walk in the beds of streams or 
circle the mountains, how to make cunning back- 
ward movements and skillful turnings that would 
lead the pursuer aside by artful deception. The 
panther and wildcat had taught them the secret 
of ambush and how to be swift and wary in hunt- 
ing. 

Great was the wisdom of the animal tribes. 
A boy must be keen in his senses, wary and pa- 
tient, if he would learn their ways, — know their 
haunts, their excursions and migrations, their 
methods of hunting and fighting and feeding, 
their devices in hiding and seeking shelter. 

With the help of Ganiuska, the Stone Giant, 
White Eagle made a snow snake, a ga-wa-sa, of 
great finish and beauty. The hickory shaft, as 
long as the height of the tallest warrior, curved 
upward slightly to make the round head of the 
snake. The head was pointed with lead so that 
the shaft would run swiftly. The shaft was pol- 
ished to perfect smoothness and then oiled until 
its sm'face was like the ice that forms on still 
water. 



42 The Hero of the Longhouse 

When the boys of Onondaga met for a game 
of snow snake. White Eagle and Sosondoweh 
were often chosen leaders of the contending sides. 
They determined the goal for the snake to reach. 
Then each player took one throw before the count 
began. The snake that outstripped every throw 
of the opponents gave a count to the winning 
side. At last Sosondoweh became so skillful in 
throwing that his snake ran with the speed of an 
arrow and reached a goal one hundred and fifty 
paces distant ; but the next winter White Eagle's 
snake reached a goal that was farther by ten 
paces. 

The two boys became eager to try their skill 
with the youth from neighboring villages. Es- 
pecially they longed for contests with the 
Oneidas. 

There was a famous spring on the boundary 
line between the Onondagas and Oneidas, be- 
loved of the Men of Men for many generations. 
Because of its great depth it was called De-o- 
song-wa, the Spring in the Deep Basin. Here 
was the favorite place of meeting between Onon- 
daga and Oneida, — the place where they met 
for informal converse or contest. A bright morn- 
ing in late autumn found White Eagle and So- 
sondoweh on their way to the Great Spring, eager 
to try their strength with the youth of the 
Oneidas. 

As the boys approached the Deep Spring they 
saw a group of young Oneidas talking with two 







Vi_; -i^ 



'The boys of Onondaga met for a game of snow snake' 



44 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Onondagas, A-o-do-gweh and Da-wey-on-go. 
Aodogweh was a youth of the Bear Clan and he 
and Daweyongo had lately pledged their friend- 
ship. Daweyongo was a Cayuga captive who 
had been adopted by the blind and aged No-gon- 
dih, one of the Royaners of the Wolf Clan. He 
was trusted by all who knew him because of his 
steadfastness and fortitude. No youth in Onon- 
daga could equal him in scouting. Aodogweh 
Was one of the best ball players and was unsur- 
passed in his skill at throwing. The Oneidas were 
now urging Aodogweh to a contest in throwing 
but he would not accept the challenge. This 
aroused the spirit of Sosondoweh, who challenged 
an Oneida to a running contest. 

The first two rounds were tied. Then they 
prepared for the third run. Each tightened the 
deerskin belt that held the embroidered breech- 
cloth and stood ready. At a signal, they shot 
away like young stags when the hunter pursues 
them. The eyes of the watchers followed them as 
they skimmed through the forest, appearing and 
disappearing in ever wider distance. The re- 
turn from the farther goal was eagerly awaited. 
The Oneida appeared first, running with body 
bent forward. Then quickly Sosondoweh shot 
into the sunlight. They ran a few paces breast 
lo breast. Then, as they neared the home goal, 
Sosondoweh passed the Oneida and touched it 
five paces before him. 

The warriors of both sides applauded, so close 
had been the contest. 



White Eagle and Sosondoweh 45 

Then a trial of shooting began. A birch 
marker was set at a distance of eighty paces. An 
Onondaga youth challenged an Oneida. The 
Oneida won. Then the Oneida challenged White 
Eagle. 

The two took their places. With a quick dex- 
terous movement, the Oneida drew the bowstring 
backward and deftly set an arrow, the flint point 
of which was beveled on opposite sides so that the 
shaft would whirl in its flight. Then came a 
quick twang; the arrow flew singing on its way 
and pierced the white birch marker in the middle. 
At once White Eagle took the bow with steady 
motion. The swift arrow flew to the mark and 
the onlookers heard the sharp click as it struck 
the arrow of the Oneida. 

Two crows were slowly flying over the tall 
pine trees. With a proud gesture the Oneida 
lifted his bow and brought down the leader. 
White Eagle shot as quickly, but missed the 
second crow ; a dark feather floated slowly down- 
ward to show how narrowly his arrow had failed 
of its mark. The Oneida held the honor. 

All this time Aodogweh had been silent. Sud- 
denly he challenged the most skillful of the 
Oneida youths to a contest in throwing. A stone 
was suspended from a tree branch by a slender 
thong of deerskin. The aim was to cut the thong 
by a blow from a battle-ax thrown from a dis- 
tance of twenty paces. The Oneida began. Three 
times he carefully measured the distance and sent 



46 The Hero of the Longhouse 

his stout ax toward the goal, but only once he 
grazed the slender thong of deerskin. Then 
Aodogweh took the ax, glanced along its polished 
edge, hfted his arm, and with one powerful throw 
severed the thong of deerskin. This feat was re- 
ceived with cries of approval from both parties. 

At once Aodogweh began to boast of his feats 
in shooting and throwing. While he was speak- 
ing an old man approached the Deep Spring. He 
was erect, and the light of a good mind made his 
face shine. It was So-no-sa-se, the eldest chief- 
tain of the Oneidas. 

In a moment the boasting tongue of Aodogweh 
was silent. Sonosase said: "My Children, will 
you have a story?" Many voices eagerly an- 
wered "Heh," and the young men and boys 
crowded about Sonosase. He said: "Radixaa, 
listen to the story of a great deed that was never 
boasted. 

"Long ago a village of the Oneidas lay in 
fruitful maize fields that enclosed it like a forest. 
Its people were at peace with their neighbors, 
and their lodges echoed with the happy voices of 
women and the laughter of children. But sud- 
denly from the north came a company of fierce 
men that swept the land like a fire in the forest. 

"Then the warriors of the Oneidas hurried with 
their women and children to the rocks and caves 
for refuge. The Great Ruler looked on them in 
pity, and passing his hands over the forest, he 
hid their trail from the foe. 



White Eagle and Sosondoweh 47 

"But hunger found the hidden people and 
brought on them death by slow torture. Again 
the Master of Life looked in pity on his children 
and sent a dream to the maiden Ali-quip-so. In 
her dream good spirits led her to the bluff's edge; 
they showed her how the huge rocks could be 
rolled into the valley below so as to strike down 
the very trees. 

"They said to Aliquipso: 'Go to the foes of 
thy people. Lead them into this valley that the 
Oneida warriors may destroy them.' 

"When the maiden had told her dream to the 
wise men she said, '^ly brothers, Aliquipso is 
ready to obey the command of the good spirits.' 

"That night when darkness crept from the 
forest, the maiden left her people. In the morn- 
ing the enemy found her wandering like a lost 
one in the forest. At once they put her to tor- 
ture, demanding the hiding place of the Oneidas. 
At last the maiden feigned to yield and led the 
way through many paths and windings to the 
foot of the precipice that the good spirits had 
shown her. When the warriors had crowded 
around her she suddenly lifted her voice in a 
piercing cry of warning. 

"At that sound the foes struck the maiden life- 
less. But the starving Oneidas standing above 
behind huge boulders sent them crashing down 
the cliff side. They crushed the cruel foes as 
worms are crushed beneath the heel of a warrior. 

"For many suns the maiden, Aliquipso, was 



48 The Hero of the Longhouse 

mourned by her people. The Great Ruler 
changed her hair into woodbine and sent it over 
the earth as a protection to aged trees. From her 
body sprang the honeysuckle, which the Oneidas 
call 'the blood of a brave woman.' " ^ 

When the story was ended the four Onondagas 
silently took the trail homeward. White Eagle 
ran beside Aodogweh. He saw with amazement 
that the youth was filled with anger because he 
had been rebuked by Sonosase. Never before 
had White Eagle seen an Onondaga, man or 
woman, resent the censure of the aged. 

The next day White Eagle and Sosondoweh 
stood on a hilltop that looked down on the Os- 
wego River. They had been recounting yester- 
day's adventure at the Deep Spring. Soson- 
doweh said: "Some day I shall be a great hunter 
and warrior. Then I will track game, the largest 
and fiercest. I will learn to leave my trail as un- 
marked as the air-path of the eagle. I will learn 
to creep on the enemy's village as secretly as the 
wildcat when he steals on his prey. In honor I 
will wear the heron's feather and fringe my girdle 
with scalp locks." 

AATiite Eagle answered: "Some day I shall be 
a trusty warrior and I will fight in defense of my 
people. I will never turn my back on a comrade 
in danger. This is the story of courage I like 
best: 'Many moons ago a party of Onondaga 

^ Adapted from The Legends of the Iroquois, by W. W. 
Canfield 



White Eagle and Sosondoweh 49 

warriors traveled swiftly westward and fell on a 
Seneca village. Among the captives was a young 
chieftain who had fought with great courage. 
When the victorious party reached their own 
country they camped on their journey. When 
morning came they saw a strange youth sitting 
quietly near their camp fire. He was a Seneca. 
They asked, 'Why have you openly appeared at 
our campfire?' The youth answered, 'I have 
come to share the fate of my brother. I have 
greater love for him than fear of the Onondaga 
torture.' I would be as courageous as the young 
Seneca." 

For a moment Sosondoweh was silent, then he 
spoke : 

"Truly the Seneca youth was courageous, but 
I like not the Seneca people. Do not the proud 
Senecas speak of the Onondagas in derision? 
Have you not heard our warriors say that Ato- 
tarho will yet avenge us? Have you not heard 
them say that Atotarho will yet make the Onon- 
dagas the greatest of all the Real Men?" 

White Eagle answered: "The Senecas are 
among the bravest of the Real Men. Some of 
our warriors say that there is no cause for this 
warfare. They say that Atotarho wishes to win 
fame by fighting the Senecas." 

Sosondoweh replied : "Is not Atotarho the war- 
chieftain? Truly when thou art a warrior thou 
must fight under his leading." 

To this White Eagle made no answer. 



CHAPTER SIX 

THE BALL GAME 

In the planting moon, a deep gloom settled upon 
the eyes of Ganiuska, the Stone Giant; and his 
hands became idle and listless. In vain did 
Shawenis and the most skilled medicine men of 
the Onondagas strive to heal him. Then White 
Eagle said to his friend, Sosondoweh: "Let the 
youth of Kanatagowa challenge the youth of 
Nan-ta-sa-sis to a contest in ball playing. The 
excitement will cheer Ganiuska and make him 
forget his sorrow." 

Soon thereafter a challenge was sent to the 
neighboring Onondaga town of Nantasasis. 

The contest took place on the wide open, close 
to the salt licks. Two gates were erected. Each 
was made by setting two poles about fifty paces 
apart. The two gates were distant more than a 
thousand paces from each other. The gate on 
the north side belonged to the players of Kana- 
tagowa ; that on the south side belonged to Nan- 
tasasis. The party that carried the ball through 
its own gate the greatest number of times was 
the victor. 

White Eagle had but lately been admitted to 
the group of best players. He was to act as a 
reserve who, at need, could be called into action. 
Sosondoweh and Aodogweh were most skilled in 
using the bat, the ga-ne-a, that carried a strong 
net of deerskin at one end in which the ball was 
caught. There was long and arduous practice to 

50 



The Ball Game 51 

obtain a more dexterous use of the bat, for no 
player might touch the ball with hand or foot; 
all must be done with the ganea. Each player 
must become expert in picking up the ball with a 
single movement of the ganea, an expert in swift 
running and dodging, in the quick catch and the 
swift sending of the ball from one to the other. 

In dexterity and swiftness Sosondoweh led 
all the others, but he tired quickly. Aodogweh 
was very agile; he was strong and of great en- 
durance, but he was untrustworthy because of 
his fiery temper. There was a famous ball player 
in Nantasasis named Swa-o-weh. His strength 
was greater than that of any other player, and he 
was exceedingly bold and fearless. For five 
winters Nantasasis had been victorious over 
Kanatagowa because of the good playing of 
Swaoweh. 

After the challenge had been sent and accepted 
there was much betting between the warriors of 
Kanatagowa and Nantasasis. When a prized 
ornament was pledged by one village, it was 
quickly matched by the other. Before the day 
of the contest, excitement ran so high that valu- 
able weapons and embroidered garments and 
robes of fur were deposited with the managers of 
the game and laid aside to await the issue of the 
playing. 

Ganiuska, the Stone Giant, pledged the object 
that he loved best. It was a pipe of black marble 
that he had begun fifteen winters before, in the 



52 The Hero of the Longhouse 

first winter of White Ecagle's life. For five 
winters Ganiuska had labored on that pipe, and 
in all the towns of Onondaga there was no other 
stone carving so fine. 

Kagagwa shone bright on the day appointed 
for the contest. Before the great sun had reached 
the topmost heaven, the open was crowded. The 
people of Nantasasis ranged at one end, and 
those of Kanatagowa at the other, leaving a clear 
space between them for the players. 

Ganiuska was conducted to the ball game by 
Hosahaho, the chieftain of the Turtles, who was 
the uncle of White Eagle. The Stone Giant was 
eager with excitement. He could see as in pale 
moonlight the movements of the players, but he 
could not recognize their faces. As a yell rang 
from the forest, Hosahaho said to Ganiuska: 
"There the players of Nantasasis are coming. 
Now they are gathered about Swaoweh. He 
wears a new breechcloth of handsome design." 
A few minutes later another yell sounded, and 
Hosahaho explained: "Now the players of Kana- 
tagowa come. Aodogweh is very finely painted. 
Sosondoweh is taller than any of the others. Now 
the players take their places." 

In the center of the field the twelve players 
stood in two lines facing each other. They wore 
only the breechcloth secured by the belt, the em- 
broidered ends falling before and behind. Each 
player carried a bat, the ganea. 

The Stone Giant, almost blind, now advanced 




^4 




"For five winters Ganiuska had labored on that pipe' 



54 The Hero of the Longhouse 

and addressed the players: "You young men of 
Nantasasis have been chosen to stand for your 
village in this contest; see that you do honor to 
your people. You young men of Kanatagowa, 
the eyes of your clansmen are on you; see that 
you bring honor to your townsfolk. Listen, all. 
If anyone in the fury and heat of the contest take 
unfair advantage, he shall bring defeat to himself 
and disgrace to his people. Na-ho. I have 
spoken." 

The managers of the game took their places 
to see that all was done fairly. Close at hand 
were the substitute players for each party. At 
that moment it was swiftly rumored that five 
points had been agreed on for the game. The 
party that first carried the deerskin ball through 
its gate five times would win the contest. 

All was ready. One of the managers advanced 
and dropped the deerskin ball between the bats 
of the two opposing players, Swaoweh and So- 
sondoweh, who stood in the center of the field. 
There was a short quick struggle between them 
for the possession of the ball. At last with a 
dexterous movement Sosondoweh caught it in 
the meshes of his bat and with incredible quick- 
ness sent it flying toward his party gate. 

In an instant the deerskin ball was the center 
of a lively contest. Soon it flew out from the 
struggling mass of players and was caught by 
Sosondoweh who sped like an arrow toward his 
party gate. He was intercepted by an opponent, 



The Ball Game 55 

whom he eluded by clever dodges, winning his 
gate amid the approving shouts of his party. 

In the pause which followed while the players 
rested, the onlookers talked in excitement, for 
they had never seen better running than that of 
Sosondoweh. 

Again the players faced each other; again the 
ball was dropped between the bats of Sosondo- 
weh and Swaoweh. The ball was secured by 
Swaoweh and sent far toward the gate of his 
party. In the sharp contest about it, it was cap- 
tured by Swaoweh who sent it closer to his gate. 
For an instant every player was in swift motion, 
but Sosondoweh outran the others, caught the 
ball with a single thrust of the ganea, dodged his 
opponents, and in a moment more was speeding 
away to his own gate, out-distancing every 
runner from Nantasasis. 

There were shouts of approval from all the 
onlookers and deafening applause from the 
people of Kanatagowa. 

After a brief pause for rest, the opponents 
faced each other for the third round. There was 
no sign of excitement in any of the players; but 
each side knew that a severe trial was before 
it. The players of Kanatagowa were not de- 
ceived by their successful beginning. If they 
won, it would be by good fighting. 

Almost at once Sosondoweh secured the ball 
and sent it toward his gate. In an instant there 
was a wild contest for its possession. Suddenly 



56 The Hero of the Longhouse 

it shot out and was lost to sight in the forest. 
But the players knew its location. Like the on- 
rush of the west wind they pursued it, leaping, 
dodging, and running. The little deerskin ball 
was soon the center of another struggle. At 
last Swaoweh secured the ball and threw it to 
one of his party who carried it through the gate 
of Nantasasis. 

The players from Nantasasis won three more 
points in succession. The aged chieftain who 
kept the count by thrusting a stick in the ground 
as each point was made, had recorded four counts 
for Nantasasis while Kanatagowa had only two. 
The game might be decided in the next play. The 
excitement of the onlookers was intense while 
they waited for the players to take their places. 

In the seventh trial Sosondoweh gained the 
ball. It was knocked from his ganea at once. 
Again and again the ball flew out only to be 
captured. It was caught at last by Aodogweh, 
carried almost to the gate, lost by a stroke from 
Swaoweh, caught in its flight, and sent back to 
Aodogweh, who carried it through his gate. 

While the players paused to rest, the people 
talked with suppressed excitement. Ganiuska 
was silent, thinking with misgiving of his hand- 
some pipe of black marble. In his heart he had 
pledged it to his sky journey. 

Again the opponents faced each other. Swa- 
oweh gained the ball. It was quickly recovered 
by his opponents. For a long time, amid high 



The Ball Game 57 

leaping and swift dodging, the ball flew from 
ganea to ganea. Then it was struck toward the 
gate for Kanatagowa and a hard contest fol- 
lowed. When it was thrown out it landed in the 
midst of the people, who swiftly scrambled away 
to avoid the rush of the players. Again and again 
these struggles took place. At last the breathless 
crowds saw Sosondoweh shoot out from the mass 
of players like an arrow. Without pausing in 
his running he made the gate for his village. His 
team yelled their approval until the forests 
echoed. Then a sudden silence fell. The on- 
lookers were trembling with excitement. Each 
side had gained four points ; the round had come 
that must determine the contest. 

As the players faced each other for the last 
time, Sosondoweh showed fatigue but Swaoweh 
was as fresh and alert as ever. 

Almost at once Swaoweh gained the ball. He 
won it again and again only to lose it. At last he 
had almost reached his gate, when he was inter- 
cepted by Aodogweh who gained the ball and 
threw it toward his gate. In the midst of a fierce 
battle for its possession the managers called a 
halt; Aodogweh had been lamed, blood was 
trickling from his shoulder. Pale with passion, 
the youth withdrew and at once White Eagle 
took his place. 

When the ball flew out again it went far 
toward the gate of Nantasasis. In the struggle 
that took place White Eagle captured the ball and 



;58 The Hero of the Longhouse 

ran with it almost to the gate for Kanatagowa. 
Two players that had outdistanced all others pur- 
sued him; one was Swaoweh, the other Soson- 
doweh; Swaoweh was leading. A backward 
glance told White Eagle that he must be over- 
taken. With a sudden backward movement he 
threw the ball to Sosondoweh, who dodged 
Swaoweh and reached the gate for Kanatagowa. 

For a few moments the forests echoed with 
yells of triumph. In the excitement every one 
was shouting or laughing or talking, for the 
honor of the victory went to the village and not 
to the players. Kanatagowa was wild with the 
joy of triumph. But of all the men of Kanata- 
gowa, none was so happy as Ganiuska. The be- 
loved pipe of black marble was saved. He would 
wrap it in his mj^stery bag. Into that bag he 
would put some sacred tobacco and an owl's 
skin to watch the pipe that was now pledged to 
his sky journey. 

But in the midst of the rejoicing, there was a 
tempest in the heart of Aodogweh. He asserted 
that he had been purposely struck by the ganea 
of Swaoweh. The managers affirmed that the 
play had been fair. This redoubled the fury of 
Aodogweh. In an instant he brandished a war 
club and with a single blow felled Swaoweh. The 
on-lookers were filled with horror: Swaoweh lay 
dead at the feet of Aodogweh. 

Like the spread of a forest fire the news flew 
through the noisy crowds of Kanatagowa and si- 



/ 



/* 






^ '"Q ' r^' :aiS'i 







1'i 









J^\ 



'There was a tempest in the heart of Aodogweh' 



60 The Hero of the Longhouse 

lenced their joyous excitement. A murder had 
been committed. Already the clan of Swaoweh 
was calling for vengeance ! 

The next sun Aodogweh stood before the 
council fire. His tribesmen had condemned him. 
He was listening to the words of the head chief- 
tain: "So you, Aodogweh, did kill Swaoweh with 
your own hands. You have committed a sin in 
the eyes of the Creator. Behold the bright light 
of the sun. In the brightness of the sun's light 
I pronounce you an exile. You shall depart at 
once from the territory of the Onondagas and 
nevermore return. The forests of Onondaga 
shall not shelter you, nor shall the land receive 
your footsteps. You shall become a wood-wan- 
derer in a strange land, nor shall you receive shel- 
ter in any house except the house of a stranger. 
Naho. I have spoken." 

In that hour Aodogweh departed — left his 
kindred and his sworn friend, Daweyongo. He 
fled through the woodlands as if the ghost of Swa- 
oweh pursued him. The next sun the land knew 
him not. Far indeed must he go to escape the 
vengeance of the clansmen of Swaoweh. 



CHAPTER SEVEN 

THE BOY HUNTERS 

The location of Kanatagowa had again been 
changed. The village now stood on the level top 
of a hill that descended steeply on three sides. 
Half a mile away was the Gasunto, and along 
this creek at its nearest point was a natural open- 
ing in the forest. Here the people could plant 
maize enough to supply them until a wider area 
was cleared. Thej^ did not fear famine, for they 
had wisely saved much corn from last year's har- 
vest. 

One autumn day as ^Miite Eagle tracked the 
forest, he came suddenly on the old home village. 
He paused at the door of the familiar longhouse, 
the home of all his childhood. Above its door he 
saw the sign of the turtle. There was O-staa, the 
pine tree, where Hodoanjo had made his arrows 
of flint. Well White Eagle remembered the day 
when, with his blowgun, he first went forth as a 
hunter, his pouch filled with small arrows made 
by the kindly Hodoanjo. Now the great ar- 
row maker had journeyed to the blessed land be- 
yond the sunset. Never had the new village 
known his kindly presence, and the warriors still 
felt the loss of their best arrow maker. 

Drawn by memories of the old home. White 
Eagle entered the silent longhouse. He loiew 
well that the old house would soon become the 
home of Ohowa, the owl, and the lurking place of 
Sais-ta, the snake. When the winter's snow came, 

61 



62 The Hero of the Lough oiise 

Hotyoiic, the wolf, would boldly prowl where the 
council fire had burned and Skanondo, the deer, 
would fearlessly roam through the maize fields. 

Slowly he went to the blackened fireplace that 
had once been his mother's. Out of the silence 
something whispered: "You have left the bright 
days of your childhood. You have left them be- 
hind you forever. Gird yourself for the days to 
come, and fill them with manly achievement." 

As White Eagle emerged from the deserted 
longhouse all the world seemed to call him to 
action. Loudly the forest si^oke: "Come hither 
and find fresh adventure; come with your bow 
and arrow; try your foot with the swift Ska- 
nondo; try your strength with O-kwa-ri, the bear; 
try your wit with the fox, the cunning Jitso!" 

From the brown earth far and near, came the 
challenge of burrowing creatures: "Where are 
your traps, White Eagle, where are your cun- 
ning snares and nets? See, we are safe and free. 
If you are a good trapper, hasten to catch us !" 

The wide air spaces resounded wath calls dis- 
tant and near: calls of the snipe and the crane; 
calls of wild ducks flying over; calls of flocks of 
turkeys from the forest, and the distant soft 
calls of wood pigeons: "Where has White Eagle 
gone? Fearless we jDcrch or fly, for now we are 
safe from his arrows." 

Near at hand sounded the rippling voice of the 
creek. "Come, White Eagle," it said. "In a 
sheltered cove your bark canoe is awaiting, on a 



The Boy Hunters 63 

distant bank you shall find Jonito, the beaver! 
Come, learn of Jonito, the wise builder!" 

As White Eagle looked and listened, he heard 
the distant call of Ohowa, the owl. He lifted his 
head and listened intently. The call was quickly 
answered by another call, and then another, and 
another. White Eagle recognized the signals of 
his comrades, the Boy Foxes. He turned 
toward the forest, uttered the owl cry, and noise- 
lessly disappeared in the woodland. 

As he swiftly and warily threaded the forest, 
his heart was proudly repeating the words of 
their song: 

I am a Fox, a wise Jitso, 

I am prepared to die ; 

If there is anything difficult. 

If there is anything dangerous, 

That is mine to do.^ 

A little later White Eagle stood with the Fox 
Boys listening to the words of their captain, Ga- 
ye-was. 

A bear had swum the river a half hour before ; 
he was slowly making his way toward a distant, 
rocky ridge. They must pursue and kill him be- 
fore he could reach his hiding place there. The 
leader named the boys who should pursue Ok- 
wari, the bear. He named those who should 
guard the left to drive him back if he tried to re- 
turn to the river, and those who should run for- 
ward to head him away from the mountain. 

^ Wissler, Akicita Societies. (Adapted.) 



64 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Swiftly and silently they entered the chase. 
Soon the calls of Ohowa were echoed and an- 
swered. The bear was sighted; the chase had 
begun. 

White Eagle ran so well that he kept beside 
Gayewas, the captain. They ran until the ridge 
was just before them. Suddenly there was the 
sound of snapping underbrush in front, and 
Okwari lumbered into sight. He was making his 
way toward a clump of high pines where he could 
be clearly sighted. The boys' hearts leaped as 
they looked. It was the largest bear they had 
ever seen. Both drew their bows, and two arrows 
pierced Okwari at the same instant. The great 
bear turned savagely in fight, but in a moment 
Gayewas sent an arrow that sunk deep between 
his shoulders. 

On all sides the Boy Foxes were closing in. 
The body of the bear was soon pierced by many 
arrows and he was fighting like Dajoji, the 
panther. He raised himself on his hind legs and 
with blazing eyes rushed upon one of the boy 
hunters. Then Gayewas, strong and fearless, 
ran swiftly to meet the great bear, calling, "Ho, 
grandfather!" The young hunter struck him a 
heavy blow with his club, the Ka-ja-wa, a maple 
knot from which a buck's antler protruded. That 
blow from the sharpened club broke the skull of 
Okwari and he dropped dead. 

The boys gathered about the body in silence. 
Each paused in amazement because of the great 
size of the dead bear. 



The Boy Hunters 65 

Straightway Gayewas lighted his pipe and 
asked Okwari's pardon because in their need of 
his flesh they had robbed him of hfe. 

Silently, warily at first, the Boy Foxes turned 
toward the village, dragging with them the huge 
body. 

Soon a youth of the Bear Clan struck into a 
bear song which the Boy Foxes joined: 

Okwari, Okwari, my noble Okwari, 
My clan father most ancient. 

Over and over the Boy Foxes sang it, their 
triumphant voices ringing through the woodland. 

Suddenh^ they were startled by the sound of 
heavy running from behind. They had scarcely 
grasped their bows when they saw a huge bear 
rushing upon them, eyes blazing with anger. In 
an instant the Boy Foxes had disappeared and 
the enraged Okwari was left alone with its dead 
mate. 

But Sosondoweh relying on his great swiftness 
stood boldly out from behind a tree and quickly 
drew his bow on the raging beast. Before the 
arrow had sped the youth was struck to the earth 
by the bear's huge paw. That moment had been 
the end of Sosondoweh had not White 
Eagle, who was nearest, boldly stepped from 
cover. Okwari rose up to give battle. White 
Eagle ran forward and dealt the bear a swift 
blow with his sharpened club. But the arm of 
White Eagle was not strong enough; the great 



QQ 'The Hero of the Longhouse 

bear was only blinded for a brief instant, then 
rushed at the youth with upraised paws. White 
Eagle lifted his arm to strike again. But an- 
other club descended on Okwari. It was the club 
of Daweyongo, the Cayuga, the strongest of the 
Boy Foxes. The sharp point of Kajawa entered 
the skull of the great bear, which tottered back- 
ward and sank dead beside its mate. 

But there was no joy in the hearts of the Boy 
Foxes as they looked on the two huge bodies ; all 
their thought w^as for their wounded comrade. 
Swiftly and gently they carried the bleeding So- 
sondoweh to the edge of the village. Two of 
them ran forward to tell the news at the long- 
house of the Wolf Clan; White Eagle and an- 
other ran to the longhouse of the Turtles to call 
the wise Shawenis, who was skilled in the care of 
wounds. Quickly she would make ready a dress- 
ing of herbs for the healing of Sosondoweh. 

An hour later the Boy Foxes gathered about 
the skilled hunter, Ho-de-gweh. He was an 
able warrior who was training them to follow 
the big game. Quietly and in true words Gaye- 
was told the story of their hunting, the other boys 
confirming his words. 

When he had finished Hodegweh spoke: "You 
should have kept silence on the home path, for 
only in silence can the ear warn you of danger. 
Remember that the eye sees the forward path 
only; the backward path must be guarded by 
Ohanta, the ear. 




''yA. "^ 



White Eagle 



dealt the bear a swift blow with his 
sharpened club" 



68 The Hero of the Longhouse 

"The boldness of Sosondoweh was foolish, for 
his arrow could not hurt Okwari. White Eagle 
was a true comrade in defending Sosondoweh, 
but he has disobeyed the instructions of Ho- 
degweh. The youngest of the Boy Foxes, his 
arm is not strong enough to break the skull of 
Okwari. 

"Keep the words of Hodegweh in remem- 
brance, for soon you shall have greater trials. See 
that you are ready. Naho. I have spoken." 

In silence the boys listened to the warning 
words of Hodegweh. Nor did one of them feel 
pride in the death of the two huge bears. Had 
they not fled before Okwari ? Had not a comrade 
fallen? Truly each boy knew well that one of 
the older hunters would have crippled the raging 
bear in open fight and quickly killed him. Had 
they been swift and sure with their weapons, So- 
sondoweh would not have fallen. 

That evening at the wood's edge a fire was 
kindled, and the people went out to look on the 
two huge bodies of the dead bears. The old men 
told tales of their hunting. They told of huge 
bears killed by their fathers ; but never before had 
boy hunters brought such a kill to their village. 

The fire grew dim, lighting with fitful flicker- 
ings the forms of the two dead bears. Above, 
the Great Bear Chase shone bright in the north 
sky. Then the young men and youth gathered 
about Hunadanlu: "See," they said, "where 
shines Okwari; see where he roams the wide sky 



The Boy Hunters 69 

paths followed by the three brother hunters. Tell 
us again of the Celestial Bear; tell us again of 
his hunting." Straightway Hunadanlu began: 
"Listen, my children. Many ages before my 
grandfather lived, a Real JNIan was tracking a 
wounded deer that led him far into the forest. 
Just as he overtook the wearied Skanondo, he 
saw it seized by a mighty bear that lifted it lightly 
and began to devour it. The hunter gazed in 
wonder, for never had he seen a creature so weird. 

"From that day it became more and more diffi- 
cult for the people to find food. They knew well 
that the strange Monster Bear was driving all 
game from their forests. The hunters went out 
in one company to surround him. They came on 
his great tracks and found the bones of many 
creatures. Truly, at times they saw his huge 
bulk before them, but their arrows could never 
approach him. Always the blinding snow fell 
thick and fast, covering the deep tracks of 
Okwari. 

"At night they returned to the village defeated. 
Then through the darkness the people heard the 
fearful voice of the Monster Bear coming nearer 
and nearer. All night long they tried in terror to 
hide from his voice. At dawn the men returned 
to the hunting. Vain were their endeavors to 
reach the monster. With his magic, Okwari baf- 
fled every plan for his death, while he fearlessly 
ravaged the forests. 

"One night three brothers slept in their lodges, 



70 The Hero of the Longhouse 

and in his dream each brother slew the Monster 
Bear. The three brothers rejoiced when they had 
told their dreams to each other, for they said, 'We 
shall slay the Great Bear and save our people.' 

"At once they prepared for the hunt. At 
break of day, followed by Je-ye, their dog, they 
took the trail of Okwari. Long and vainly they 
followed. Sometimes they could see the shadow 
of the Monster Bear on the snow hills, and al- 
ways that shadow was fleeing northward, but 
always the hunters pursued it. The freezing 
winds whistled and furiously drove them; the 
rough ice weighted their moccasins; the white 
snow drifted to the sky. But led on by his dream 
picture, each brother went steadily forward. 

"At last they came to the end of the flat earth 
where its edge closes to the north sky. The flying 
shadow of the Monster Bear entered a misty sea, 
and undaunted the three hunters followed. They 
could see the Mighty Bear before them; he was 
weaving a starry net and casting it across the 
wide sky path. When the star network was fin- 
ished, the Great Bear paused in his flight and 
crawled within it for shelter. 

"The brothers rejoiced when they came to 
the opening in that star net. 'Now we shall not 
lose thee, Okwari,' they cried. 'We will slay thee 
and carry thee back to our people !' 

"Slowly the listening Bear opened his sleepy 
eyes. Then he rose in his giant height, and lifting 
the net with his paws he dragged the hunters be- 
neath. 



The Boy Hunters 71 

"There they roam to this day. Not knowing 
their imprisonment, they follow the Monster 
Bear forever and forever, and he forever eludes 
them." ' 

When the story was ended the people looked 
silenth^ upward to Ot-sha-ta, the sky. There was 
the Celestial Bear and behind him the three 
brothers still pursuing, followed by their faithful 
dog, Jeye. 

All the listeners had been intent except White 
Eagle. His mind was filled with the rebuke of 
Hodegweh, and with the thought of the sharper 
rebuke that would come to Sosondoweh. The 
boy knew that he had disobeyed, and that his blow 
had helped only a little ; nevertheless he was glad 
that he struck it. 

* Adapted from Iroquow Myilis and Legends, by Harriet 
Maxwell Converse. 



CHAPTER EIGHT 

THE JOURNEY 

The forest trails about Kanatagowa had changed 
with the changing of the town's location. Some 
of the old roads were now little used, since they 
led to a deserted village. New trails had been 
gradually broken and connected with the ancient 
footpaths. 

All the near roads were well known to White 
Eagle. He knew something of the great hunt- 
ing trail southward along the Tioughnioga; he 
had tracked the main trail along the Oswego to 
the shores of Ontario. But far better he knew 
the well-beaten roads of his people leading along 
the Gasunto and Onondaga creeks and winding 
around the forested hills southward. 

There was one well-worn footpath north of his 
native village on which he thought most often, 
although it was least familiar. Ancient and en- 
during, it crossed the land of the Onondagas from 
east to west. Well he knew that this footpath 
ran onward and onward. Crossing the land of 
the Oneidas, crossing the land of the Mohawks, 
it reached the beautiful Ska-neh-ta-de ^ that flows 
ever southward until it comes to the Great Sea 
at the Sun's Rising. 

Sometimes he stood on that well-worn path and 
turned his eyes eastward. Much he longed to 
follow that road, follow it onward and onward, 
follow it along the Mohawk to the Skanehtade. 

1 The Hudson. 

72 



The Journey 73 

He would follow southward with the Skanehtade, 
always downward and southward, until at last 
he should come to the boundless waters toward 
the sun's rising — come at last to the great shore- 
less sea. On that road he would see many strange 
peoples ; he would hear them speak in a language 
unknown to his ear, untried by his lips ; he would 
see their houses and note their strange customs. 

Less often he turned on that worn Central 
Trail and looked westward. He knew that it 
crossed the deep-wooded land of the Cayugas. 
It reached the wide plains of the Senecas; it 
crossed their rivers and forests; it left that land 
behind it, journeying still farther westward 
through the land of the Eries. 

Straight and deep, hardened by age-long use, 
tracked by the feet of generations long passed 
away, the silent road threaded the woodland. 
Surely it had seen wondrous things ; truly it had 
heard long-silent voices and witnessed the deeds 
of the fathers of his people. Did not Hawen- 
niyu, the Great Ruler, look on that ancient path 
and see the footprints of his children, the foot- 
prints of many generations of the Real Men? 

White Eagle was impatient to see all the 
country that had been bestowed on the Real Men 
by the Holder-of-the-Heavens. Where were the 
bounds of the great island that was formed to 
hold Ataensic? He longed to travel toward the 
four points of the earth till he found them. 

The observant eye of Ondiyaka, the Bear 



74 The Hero of the Longhouse 

chieftain, read the thoughts of his son and divined 
his wishes. He said: "AVhite Eagle longs to see 
the wide land of the Real JNIen. I will show him 
the hunting grounds of his people. I will lead 
him over our ancient trails and teach him to find 
and follow the great footpaths of the Real Men. 
He is young for the journey, but it will prepare 
him for the training that \yill make him a warrior 
and for the dream-fast that will shape his path 
in manhood." 

Soon the day came when White Eagle stood 
at the door of the longhouse girt for his first long 
journey. On his feet were new moccasins worked 
by the careful hand of his mother, worked in the 
pattern he loved best. It was the pattern that 
showed the path of the sun, great Kagagwa, 
making his long journey beneath the vast sky- 
arch and following the long path above it. At 
White Eagle's belt was a stout bag of o-na- 
so-kwa, the good parched corn that would sustain 
him on the journey. At his back was his good 
bov/ and a quiver of arrows. Thus equipped, 
White Eagle stood beside Ondiyaka, and his eyes 
were bright with the vision of that untried 
journey. 

The forest glowed in the colors of October, 
and all the woodlands brightened to greet them 
as they entered the trail to the south. In the 
first hours the footpaths were familiar to White 
Eagle. Sometimes they saw through the trees 
a hunter from the village following the bear or 



The Journey 75 

the deer. They passed close to the town of Nan- 
tasasis ; they heard the voices of children and saw 
the women at work in the maize fields. Soon 
they passed through wide level stretches, where, 
reaching far upward, giant pine trees shut out 
the sunlight. They passed a trail forking west- 
ward; it went to Lake Ga-ah-na.^ A little 
farther, and that same westward trail found the 
long shining water of Lake Skan-e-a-di-ce." 

Still keeping that southern trail, they skirted 
hills covered with giant oaks that had stood there 
for ages and ages. They passed through forests 
brilliant with the gold of the birch and the red 
and yellow of maples. Sometimes they crossed 
small streams running northward. They were 
nearing the southern hills at the dividing of the 
waters. 

Slowly the trail climbed upward. At last it 
came to the shores of Lake Te-ka-ne-a-da-he,^ en- 
circled by brilliant woodlands. The air was filled 
with the cries of waterfowl and the honk of wild 
geese flying over. There w^as Sora, the duck; 
there Ta-wis-ta-wis, the snipe; and, most beauti- 
ful of all, pairs of stately swans, swimming the 
crystal-clear water. From the forest came the 
soft call of O-leek. the pigeon, and the cry of 
So-hont, the turkey. From the forest, too, came 
the tap of Kwaa, the woodpecker, and the cluck 
of Kaw-e-sea, the partridge. Here and there 

' Lake Otisco. ^ Lai^p Skaneateles. ^ Xi,]iy j^akg. 



76 The Hero of the Longhouse 

White Eagle and his father crossed the hard- 
beaten paths made by the deer as they sought 
their drinking places. Sometimes they came on 
a herd of deer browsing the bushes. The herd 
lifted their heads for a moment, gazing with soft 
wondering eyes on the intruders; then they fled 
swiftly away through the forest. Beautiful to 
White Eagle was this hunting ground of his 
people as he first saw it with his father. 

Still they pushed toward the south. Sometimes 
a bear crossed the trail; sometimes a wolf or a 
lynx lifted his head from the thicket. Now for 
the first time White Eagle saw streams that were 
flowing southward. They were in the valley of 
the Tioughnioga. 

That night they slept in a small lodge made 
by the hunters of Onondaga. Here they kindled 
a fire and ate the flesh of Sohont, the turkey. 

Alone in the far-stretching forest, the villages 
of their people being far away to the northward, 
they heard close at hand the cries of wolves and 
saw their eyes glaring through the darkness. 
More than once the growl of the prowling Ok- 
wari sounded near at hand. But they were safe 
by the fire; so long as Odjista burned, they feared 
no marauders. 

Then the night sounds were interrupted by the 
voice of Ondiyaka. He said : "Listen to the story 
that tells how the Echo God once saved our 
people. 

"In the days of my father's father, the war 



The Journey 77 

chieftain Na-sa-geh led the Onondagas against 
the Cherokees. The Real Men took many scalps, 
but the Cherokees were like the leaves of the 
forest in number. All that sun they fought. At 
nightfall, scattered and broken, the warriors of 
Onondaga fled to the forest. 

"The chieftain Xasageh, wounded and spent 
with battle, came to this place at the forking of 
the trails, where we are now resting. He paused, 
not knowing which was the safer pathway. 
Above him were the dark hills. Hidden about 
him were his disheartened warriors. How could 
he bring them together and lead them by a safe 
trail to the homeland? 

"Then a new hope filled Xasageh's heart. He 
said: T will seek guidance from the Echo God. 
He is the friend of the Real Men. IMy voice he 
will answer, but he will give no sound to the pur- 
suing Cherokees.' 

"Xasageh found a rocky ravine close by. He 
called, 'Go-weh, Go-weh !' ' The Echo God 
heard. From the rocky heights came his answer, 
'Go-weh, Go-weh!' Then sadly the war chieftain 
began to chant the names of his own fallen war- 
riors. This time he spoke in a voice heart-broken 
and weary, 'O-weh, O-weh!'^ And the Echo God 
called 'O-weh, O-weh!' 

"The warriors of Onondaga took courage when 
they heard the voice of the Echo God and they 
gathered about their chieftain. They determined 
^ I am telling you. ^ Our own. 



78 The Hero of the Longhouse 

to take the trail whence the Echo God was call- 
ing. Runners were sent out to cry to him. Far- 
ther and farther away, the Onondagas heard 
the shouts of their runners, 'Go-weh, Go-weh!' 
and 'O-weh, O-weh!' And to each shouting they 
heard the Echo God reply distinctly, 'O-weh, 
O-weh!' 

"The pursuing Cherokees took the other trail, 
and so, led on by the Echo God, the Real Men 
escaped destruction.'" 

Through the days that followed. White Eagle, 
tracking that great southern trail along the 
Tioughnioga, looked on the beautiful hills south- 
ward and westward that sent their streams to the 
Susquehanna, the Great Island River. Slowly 
in his mind there was forming a picture of many 
footpaths: their directions and their branchings; 
where they touched the lakes and rivers; where 
they crossed ravines and skirted vast stretches of 
deep-thicketed muckland. His eye became quick 
to follow the trail blazed by the hatchet, winding 
through brackens and bushes with no footmarks 
to show him its leadings. 

The next morning at sunrise Ondiyaka took 
White Eagle to a high hilltop. From its height 
they traced the broad valley of the Tioughnioga 
southeastward where it bends toward the Che- 
nango, and they saw in the far distance the forests 
that skirted the swift Chenango. With a few 

' I'VoTii Iroquois Myths and Legends, by Harriet INIaxwell 
Converse. 




The Echo Gud heard' 



80 The Hero of the Longhouse 

words and movements, Ondiyaka showed the 
course of the Chenango through the land of the 
Oneidas and pointed toward the place where it 
is joined by the Tioughnioga. With his elbow 
and bended hand he showed how the Susque- 
hanna made its turn to the westward. 

Then turning northward, Ondiyaka pointed 
where, far beyond vision, the back of Hanuna, 
the Great Turtle, was lying. He said: "lyeaha, 
my son, far away toward the sun's rising are steep 
mountains ' that look toward the Skanehtade. 
There rests the great head of Hanuna, the 
Turtle. The Chenango and Tioughnioga flow 
southward from the broad back of Hanuna. My 
son, look westward ; there the mighty back of the 
Great Turtle slopes downward, bearing the long 
lakes of the Cayuga and Seneca peoples. Farther 
toward the sunset, the long tail of Hanuna is ex- 
tended, holding the broad lands of the Gen-nes- 
hee-yo,^ the River of the Beautiful Valley." 

From his pouch Ondiyaka drew a smooth 
pebble of slate. By scratching a few lines upon 
it, he showed how the great southern trails of the 
Real INIen, following the lakes and rivers to the 
Susquehanna, converged at Ta-yo-ga.^ 

For a long time White Eagle followed with 
quick eyes the forest lines southward and east- 
ward and westward. Then his father spoke 
again : 

"lyeaha, thou shalt run alone on the blazed 

^ The Helderbergs. 2 The Genesee. ^ Tioga Point. 



The Journey 81 

pathway southward. It is seldom used, but if 
thou will follow it with care it will lead thee into 
the great Oneida trail along the Chenango. Fol- 
low this trail downward and meet me at the Sus- 
quehanna." 

Instantly White Eagle tightened his belt and 
slipped noiselessly into the forest. He ran slowly 
and cautiously, his keen eyes noting every mark- 
ing in that trackless woodland. His will was set 
on following that obscure trail without mishap, 
for he knew well that his father was testing his 
skill as a runner. 

Before the sun reached midheaven, the feet of 
White Eagle had found the great Chenango trail 
of the Oneidas, and the most difficult part of his 
journey was over. He took some parched corn 
from his pouch, soaked it in water, and while he 
rested ate of it slowly and sparingly. Then with 
swift feet he turned into the well-marked Che- 
nango trail and followed it downward toward the 
Susquehanna. 

Kagagwa was nearing the rim of the west sky 
when the feet of White Eagle touched the bank 
of the broad Susquehanna, the Great Island 
River. As he stood at that meeting place of 
waters he gave the call of Gaga, the crow. It was 
answered close at hand by the cry of a hawk. A 
moment later he stood beside his father. Ondi- 
yaka gave a quiet exclamation of approval, and 
without speech the two turned their feet toward 
Tayoga. 



82 The Hero of the Longhouse 

In their night camp, Ondiyaka told White 
Eagle of the wars of the Iroquois. Their war 
parties, sailing south on the Susquehanna, en- 
tered the Cherokee land and returned bringing 
back with them the enemy's scalps and much 
booty. 

Down this same Great Island River, Atotarho 
had sailed with his warriors only the winter be- 
fore and returned again covered with glory. 

White Eagle said: "Ihani, my Father, Huna- 
danlu has told me that to each tribe has been 
given a peculiar mind and speech; each has its 
own rites, its own customs and modes of action. 
I should like to sail the Susquehanna and learn 
what gifts the Master of Life has bestowed on 
the Cherokee people." 

Ondiyaka answered: "lyeaha, you must wait 
until you are a warrior. Then in war paint and 
armed with good weapons you can enter the lands 
of the Cherokee people by means of the warpath, 
for between ourselves and them no other trail is 
open." 



CHAPTER NINE 

ON THE SHORES OF ONTARIO 

When the two travelers returned to the home 
village, every one gave them glad welcome. 
Never before was the evening fire so pleasant and 
the steaming bowl of hulled corn so welcome. 

With careful attention, Hunadanlu, friend of 
man, listened to White Eagle's story of that 
journey southward. 

When it was finished he said: "It is well that 
White Eagle has seen the hunting grounds of the 
Onondagas toward the south. Now he will go to 
the north. Now he will travel as far as the Gana- 
waga and look on a land made sacred by the foot- 
steps of the Great Fathers of the Ileal Men." 

Eagerly White Eagle assented. At dawn of 
the next sun, with their canoe on their shoulders. 
White Eagle and Ondiyaka took the familiar 
trail to the Oswego River. 

They were soon upon Lake Onondaga. 
Lightly their canoe sped through the waters 
flecked with the bright fallen leaves from the 
woodland. Here and there the water was dark- 
ened by screaming flocks of waterfowl. Some- 
times they saw" a canoe from their native village, 
for the people liked to fish in the home waters of 
Onondaga. 

Ondiyaka pointed westward w^here the Seneca 
River entered the lake of Onondaga bringing the 
waters of lakes Ga-nun-da-gwa,^ Ga-nun-da- 

^ Canandaigua Lake 
83 



84 The Hero of the Longhouse 

sa-ga.' Gwe-u-gweh,' and U-neen-do.^ Soon 
after, as they paddled along the Oswego, Ondi- 
yaka pointed to a stream flowing into the river 
from the east. It formed the outlet of Lake Ga- 
no-a-lo-hale.* So White Eagle learned how the 
Oswego flowed northward, bearing the waters of 
the lakes of four tribes of the Real Men, bearing 
them to the greatest lake of all, the vast, beautiful 
Skanodario. 

They were now in the heart of the great 
northern forest. The stately trees lifted their 
branches high in the glory of the late October 
sunshine. The deer came down to the water to 
drink, and sometimes a bear swam the river. 
Lightly they carried their canoe round the Falls 
of the Oswego, and, just before the going do^vn 
of the sun, they came to the shores of Ontario. 

Here they found a small hunting party of 
Onondagas who were returning from their camp 
on the Ga-hen-wa-ga.^ 

Ondiyaka said to White Eagle, "lyeaha, my 
Son, canst thou not bring in a deer for the even- 
ing meal?" 

Quickly White Eagle armed himself with his 
bow and quiver of arrows and went forth to the 
hunting. Light-footed, he ran to the southward. 
He found the fresh track of a large deer close to 
the Oswego. Soon he sighted Skanondo. Un- 
alarmed he was browsing the bushes. But as if 

^ Seneca Lake. - Cayuga Lake. ^ Cross Lake. 

* Oneida Lake. * Big Salmon Creek. 



On the Shores of Ontario 85 

some instinct warned him of the nearness of a 
hunter, he Hfted his head and sniffed the air with 
uneasy and restless motion. But the well-aimed 
arrow of White Eagle reached the heart of Ska- 
nondo and he dropped where he stood in the 
forest. 

When Ondiyaka saw that White Eagle had 
brought down the deer with one arrow, he praised 
him ; and all the other hunters applauded because 
he had wasted no arrow. 

That evening at the camp fire, Ondiyaka told 
this story that taught the people the sinfulness of 
wasting the gifts of the Great Ruler : 

"Long ago a company of hunters went into a 
distant forest where every kind of game 
abounded. Farther and farther they went, and 
always the game grew in abundance. Then they 
began to kill for the rich furs alone, leaving the 
carcasses to waste where the animals fell. 

"But as they went forward into that strange 
land, they came to a region of great scarcity. 
They had forgotten the way to the homeland. 
The load of rich furs that they carried did not 
help them; they were soon on the verge of star- 
vation. 

"One day an Elf suddenly appeared among 
them. He led them to a cavern filled with abun- 
dance. When they had eaten, he upbraided them 
for their wasteful greed : 'You must give up the 
rich furs that you have so wantonly stolen or 
starve because of the flesh you have wasted. 



86 The Hero of the Longhouse 

When you have chosen you may tap on the rocks 
and call me.' 

"Brief was the council that followed. The 
beautiful furs reminded the hunters of the ani- 
mal people whom without cause they had robbed 
of life. Xow they looked on the costly burden 
with sorrow^ and deep misgiving. Gladly they 
would leave it behind them. 

"At their knocking the Elf returned. The 
hunters asked only one thing: to be shown the 
way to their own country. 

"They returned there empty-handed, wdth no 
store of dried meat for the cold moons, and no 
store of skins for the next year's clothing. But 
they were wondrous light of heart, for they had 
left behind the greed of gain that makes men- 
beings robbers." 

When the story was ended, an old hunter said: 
"For sixty winters I have hunted and never have 
I seen a red man spoil the hunting grounds of 
his Fathers. It would shame him to kill a deer 
and like an untaught child leave the flesh or pelt 
to be wasted. Truly the medicine animals would 
no longer befriend man if he were greedy and 
wasteful." 

The next morning at daybreak Ondiyaka and 
White Eagle entered their canoe and turned it 
to the eastward. While the sun was still high, 
they came to the famous Gahenwaga, its waters 
the home of countless salmon. Here in the 
springtime the warriors of the Onondagas came 
for their fishing. 



On the Shores of Ontario 87 

As they went forward, they passed vast 
marshes covered with sedges noisy with the honk- 
ing of great flocks of geese and ducks. A dense 
wilderness was all about them. Crossing deep 
ravines, climbing mountains, filling wide valleys, 
skirting the shores of clear lakes, it swept east- 
ward. It passed the land of the Oneidas and 
swept across the wide land of the Mohawks till it 
came to the shores of Lake O-ne-a-da-lote.' It 
rounded wide shores to the northward till it found 
the waters of the Ganawaga. 

Ondiyaka spoke intimately of these wide water 
courses and vast, thicketed forests ; and his simple 
words and gestures held pictures, for he spoke as 
one who sees. Slowly, clearly, the mind of White 
Eagle pictured the great Adirondack forest that 
divides the waters to the northward and eastward 
and southward, the forest that holds in its deep 
recesses a shining network of lakes and the head- 
waters of the Skanehtade. 

In the following days they paddled along pro- 
jecting shores and came to bays that were dotted 
with hundreds of islands. 

The shores bent in curves so vast as to reach be- 
yond vision. They were nearing the place where 
the waters of Ontario find their way to the sea 
through the swift Ganawaga. For three days 
they skimmed the wide-bending shores and 
drifted among bright, wooded islands. 

When they touched the mainland, they found 

^ Lake Champlaiii. 



88 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the forest alive with game. The startled stag 
lifted his head from under arching trees, the tall 
moose stamped and snorted in anger, and a great 
bear boldly swam to the canoe to give battle. Un- 
surpassed in wonder and beauty was this northern 
hunting ground of the Onondagas, this land 
where the Ganawaga began its journey to the 
sea. 

To the eager mind of White Eagle, those vast, 
wooded shores and the far-stretching water pos- 
sessed a wonder beyond all beauty. Did not this 
wilderness hold the footsteps of the great war- 
riors of old who had freed their people from 
bondage? Not an inlet or bay that he looked on 
but had been laced by the water trails of their 
canoes. Was he not now crossing the waters 
where the Real Men had fought for freedom? 

Very often in those days White Eagle asked 
Ondiyaka to tell him again that story of trial and 
battle. And Ondiyaka told how the Real Men 
of old had lived in captivitj^ and how with long 
j)atience but relentless purpose they served their 
cruel Adirondack masters. Here they had 
broken their bondage and fled across the waters 
of Ontario to find a hiding place at the Falls of 
the Oswego. 

With the passionate gestures of a warrior he 
described the subsequent invasions of the Tree- 
Eating Adirondacks on the Real Men, when like 
a forest fire they had swept down on their 
villages. But always the Tree Eaters were 



On the Shores of Ontario 89 

driven backward. For against their fierce on- 
slaughts, the Mohawks and Oneidas, the Cayugas 
and Senecas and Onondagas had stood together 
hke brothers even as their Fathers of old had 
stood together on the Ganewaga. 

Beside their campfire on the last night of their 
journey, with the waters of the Oswego murmur- 
ing the story of the Fathers of the Real Men, 
White Eagle suddenly asked the question that 
had followed him for many suns. He said: 
"Ihani, my Father, cannot the Real Men be re- 
united? Can they not light again a single council 
fire, the council fire of the United People? Can- 
not the Five Brothers again sit together and 
watch the sacred peace smoke rising toward the 
Great Wisdom?" 

For a moment Ondiyaka looked into the shin- 
ing eyes of White Eagle, saw the face all 
alight with the thought that had been put into 
words, noted the body that was tense as if the 
youth heard a stirring call to action, then he 
spoke : 

"It cannot be. White Eagle. The long feud 
between the Senecas and Onondagas is not for- 
gotten. Already the party of war speaks openly 
for vengeance. This very night the best scouts 
of Atotarho are in the land of the Seneca people. 
No council fire can burn on the Great Hill, Nun- 
da-wa-o,^ unmarked by the eyes of one of the spies 
of our War Chieftain. No expedition goes out 

* Bare Hill on Canandaigua Lake 



90 The Hero of the Longhouse 

from the Great Hill that is not reported to Ato- 
tarho. lyeaha, my Son, moon b}^ moon, Atotarho 
is preparing to make war on the Seneca people. 
He would reunite the Real Men through con- 
quest." 

Ondiyaka spoke again to AVhite Eagle. He 
said: "INIy Son, listen to the promise sent to Ondi- 
yaka. Seven winters ago in the moon of burst- 
ing buds, Ondiyaka made medicine here at the 
Falls of the Oswego. He burned much sacred 
tobacco that carried to Hagwediyu, the Good 
]Mind, the longings of Ondiyaka. For the heart 
of Ondiyaka was heavy because of a war that 
Atotarho had provoked with the Cayugas. 

"That same sun, Ondiyaka stood on the shore 
of Skanodario as Kagagwa descended the west 
sky. As Ondiyaka looked, a small white cloud 
in the form of a winged canoe suddenly appeared 
in the distance. It glided swiftly over the water 
as if it were a mighty eagle. Then it faded into 
mist. 

"Then the heart of Ondiyaka was at peace. He 
said : 'The Great Wisdom remembers as he looks 
down on Skanodario, how Heno, the Thunderer, 
saved the Real Men. He sends this vision to show 
that the waters of the Beautiful Lake still hold 
that story; he sends it as a promise that the Real 
Men are still led onward by their Grandfather 
Heno." 





"A small white cloud in the form of a winged canoe 
suddenly appeared in the distance" 



CHAPTER TEN 

THE BOY WARRIORS 

In those days White Eagle grew swiftly toward 
young manhood. Already he had entered the 
band of Boy Warriors who were under the lead- 
ership of Atotarho. 

In the memory of the oldest of the Onon- 
dagas, no war leader had been so skilled as the 
young chieftain, Atotarho. He knew the story 
of the great warriors of his people, and the 
strength of each. He knew the stories of their 
wars, and he knew their treaties, ancient and 
modern. He knew the footpaths and trails of 
neighboring lands; he could locate their villages 
and give the number of fighting men in each. 

Yet because of his passion and malice, the 
skillful Atotarho was feared by the Onondagas. 
He was ambitious; he was swift in revenge; he 
was cunning and crafty and powerful. He 
brought all things to his will. Most of the people 
believed that under his lead they could never be 
vanquished. So famed was he that from every 
village of the Onondagas the young men came to 
his training. 

Atotarho expected each youth in that band to 
become a flawless warrior. Long and severe was 
the practice in every mode of attack and defense, 
in every form of ambush and surprise. How to 
choose a safe encampment; how to lie concealed 
in forest or open ; how to find a way through an 
unbroken wilderness; how to hide a canoe or 

Q2 



The Boy Warriors 93 

paddle with swiftness and silence; how to scout 
in an enemy's country — these were some of the 
things that the Boy Warriors must learn through 
long practice. 

In the moon of planting, Atotarho divided the 
Boy Warriors into two companies. One was to 
choose and fortify an encampment, the other to 
attack it. 

The first company chose a steep hill on the 
banks of the Onondaga. Their leader was Ga- 
yewas, the captain of the Boy Foxes. He sent 
out scouts to watch the movements of the attack- 
ing party, while the others dug an intrenchment 
and built a palisade on the side of the forest. 
When this was finished they put in a store of pro- 
visions and war clubs and arrows. 

Atotarho visited the camp and inspected it in 
silence. 

Hour by hour the scouts came and went to re- 
port the movements of their opponents. At last 
they returned to say that they had lost all track 
of the enemy. The attacking party had disap- 
peared in the forest. 

White Eagle was one of the band that attacked 
the encampment, and their leader was the coura- 
geous Sosondoweh. As they stole through the 
forest under cover, they could see Atotarho 
standing close to the encampment where he could 
watch the action of both parties. As they crept 
near to the encampment they signalled softly, 
using the call of the turkey ; scarcely a twig was 



94 The Hero of the Longhouse 

bended, scarcely a bush moved in the thicket. So 
well i)lanned was the onset, that the attacking 
party emerged from the thicket and reached the 
palisade before the defenders suspected. Sharp 
was the struggle that followed. Ten out of the 
twenty boys under Gayewas were taken. The 
leader with a few of the boldest sprang from the 
cliff into the waters of the Onondaga and escaped 
by swimming and diving. 

Afterward, the victors and vanquished assem- 
bled before Atotarho. His dark face was frown- 
ing and angry. In brief words he showed the 
poor scouting of the defenders, showed the weak- 
ness of the palisade, and the danger of the posi- 
tion on account of the bushes growing about it. 
The signals of the attacking party had been well 
given, he said, but some of the young warriors 
had moved too roughly through the bushes. The 
onslaught was well planned, but the attacking 
party had been weak in taking advantage. White 
]^agle had shown swiftness and strength, but he 
had not shown the disposition of the warrior. 

"You should study the wildcat," he said. "He 
never misses his prey, never fails to attain the 
ol)ject of his pursuit, and he does all quietly and 
cunningly without creating alarm. Learn from 
the wildcat how to approach and conquer a foe." 

After that the training went on with renewed 
determination. At last Atotarho assembled all 
the youth of the Onondagas and divided them 
Into two parties. He commanded one party to 



The Bof/ Warriors 95 

defend a deserted village; the other he commis- 
sioned to take it. For many days the battle went 
on. The men from all of the villages came to 
witness the sorties or went into the besieged town 
and watched the defenders. It was almost past 
their judgment which side deserved most com- 
mendation. The youthful warriors suffered 
hunger and thirst and the severest hardships un- 
heeding, so keenly was the battle waged. 

At last Atotarho had his will, all the men and 
youth of the Onondagas were eagerly studying 
warfare. When the Boy Warriors became skill- 
ful in one thing, he took up another. He built up 
a wide system of running and scouting. He sent 
them in winter on long journeys to the hunting 
camps, or in springtime to distant fishing places 
to carry messages. Two by two they went, run- 
ning day and night, pausing only long enough to 
drink at the stream side and to eat sparingly of 
parched corn, the sustaining onasokwa. Every 
moment of time must be counted, not one sen- 
tence of the message delivered in haste, not one 
word of it changed or forgotten. 

Then indeed White Eagle's knowledge of 
trails was severely tested; then it was that he be- 
gan to run by the points of the compass, to note 
the forking on the top horns of the pine tree and 
the growth of moss on the tree trunks. It was 
then that he began to guide his course by the loon 
in summer and the Seven Brothers, the Pleiades, 
in winter. 



96 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Many of the Boy Warriors became so prac- 
ticed in running and scouting that they were sent 
farther. Thus it was that White Eagle, with 
some of his companions, entered the lands of the 
Oneidas and Mohawks to get news or to carry 
messages. They became so wary and skilled that 
they were sent at last to spy on the Cayugas. A 
few of the strongest were sent into the Seneca 
land to watch and report. This was indeed true 
scouting, for if discovered they were treated as 
foes. Some of the Boy Warriors never returned 
from these scouting journeys. 

All this time in their meetings for practice, the 
boys were trained in the handling of weapons. In 
their meetings for council, they were trained in 
the knowledge and spirit of warfare. They 
learned much of neighboring peoples : where lay 
the strength of these and where their weakness; 
who were their allies and who their enemies ; they 
learned accurately of their defenses, and knew 
much about their greatest leaders and chieftains. 
The Boy Warriors listened intently to stories of 
their foes' achievements ; they learned of the great 
victories of their own people, and knew the 
famous deeds of their ablest warriors and leaders. 

Atotarho had tried and tested all the young 
men and youth of the Onondagas. He knew 
which would make the best scouts and which the 
best runners, which could be trusted as spies, 
which were the ablest leaders in attack or defense, 
and which wisest in council or guidance. 



The Boy Warriors 97 

One day as White Eagle sat by his doorway 
straightening the shafts of arrows, two Mohawk 
runners entered the village. He had heard their 
call far back in the forest and again at the wood's 
edge. A little later he saw two Onondaga scouts 
enter the house of Atotarho. Soon thereafter a 
council was called. The Mohawks brought news 
that their people, much enfeebled by war, had 
made peace with their old foes, the Algonkins. 
The Onondaga scouts reported that the Senecas 
had just gone on the warpath beyond the land of 
the Eries. 

The next day two Seneca runners arrived. 
They brought a message asking for peace and 
alliance. 

In council, the old men of the Onondagas with 
one voice urged a friendly answer. In their 
weakness, the Mohawks could send no reen- 
forcements. The Senecas were powerful and 
carried with them the strength of the Cayugas. 

When the old men had finished speaking, Ato- 
tarho arose. He recalled the old wrongs done 
them by the Senecas. Now was the moment for 
vengeance. While the Senecas were absent in an 
enemy's land was the very time to attack their 
towns and overcome them. 

While the wary Atotarho was speaking, his 
shrewd eye noted the quick response of the young 
men. But so divided was the council that a 
doubtful message was returned to the Seneca 
people. 



98 The Hero of the Longhouse 

That very night, Atotarho appeared in his war 
paint. Going to his war post he began the stir- 
ring story of his battles. As he spoke all his 
movements and action eloquently pictured the 
tales that his lips repeated. Soon the boldest of 
the young men sprang forward and struck the 
war post as a sign of enlistment. These were fol- 
lowed by most of the ablest warriors; then as if 
possessed by a single feeling, the Boy Warriors 
sounded the war cry and pressed to the side of 
their leader. 

But one of the youthful warriors was unmoved 
by the passionate narration of the war chieftain. 
Calmly, White Eagle remained sitting with the 
home people. He, the bravest and best of the 
Boy Warriors, was unstirred by that call to 
battle. 

There were two that noted the action of White 
Eagle and did not forget it. One was Huna- 
danlu, friend of man ; the other, Atotarho. The 
one rejoiced and said in his heart, "White Eagle 
seeks his own mind, and of his own spirit he will 
take counsel." The other said, "Here is the 
coming leader of the party of peace." And to 
both men there came a strong premonition of 
some future, deadly strife between Atotarho and 
the youthful White Eagle. 



CHAPTER ELEVEX 

IN THE ABSENCE OF THE WARRIORS 

A FEW weeks later the warriors returned vic- 
torious, bringing with them ten captives. They 
had surprised and burned a Seneca village. 

All night there was great rejoicing in Kana- 
tagowa and all the villages of Onondaga. It was 
long since the Onondagas had won an advantage 
over the proud and powerful Seneca people, and 
all agreed that they owed this victory to the skill 
of Atotarho. Xevertheless the wail of mourning 
was heard among them for three of the Onon- 
dagas had fallen in battle. One of these was the 
youthful Gayewas, who had led the boys in the 
hunt and in mimic warfare. The sorrow of 
White Eagle was keen; for the first time he 
mourned a close comrade. 

In the clear, cold nights when the grave-fire 
was burning for Gayewas and stars shone bril- 
liant in the heavens. White Eagle gazed upward 
to the white pathway of departed spirits. Which 
star was lighting the soul of his comrade on its 
journey? The gentle south wind, Xe-o-ga, the 
fawn, had guided him to Ga-do-waas, the gi-eat 
soul watcher. And Gadowaas, the faithful, had 
plucked a star and fastened it to the belt of Gaye- 
was. Like a great torch, it was lighting him in 
that long journey across the vast sky. When he 
came to the blessed land of spirits, the dead kins- 
folk of Gayewas would give him welcome. They 
would greet him at the doors of their lodges and 



100 The Hero of the Longhouse 

prepare for him the best food in their dwellings. 
They would praise his deeds of courage and give 
him place among the noblest hunters and 
warriors. 

One day the Onondaga scouts returned and 
reported that the Senecas had come back from 
their expedition westward, and that the Cayu- 
gas were with them on the warpath. 

The people knew that the Senecas would soon 
avenge themselves on the Onondagas. All the 
warriors looked to Atotarho for guidance. 
Quickly the young war chieftain made his plans 
for the winter. The hunting moon was near. 
The warriors of Onondaga would go into their 
southern hunting ground and camp on the 
borders near the Cayuga towns. They would 
keep on foot an active war party to watch the 
Cayuga and Seneca towns from a distance. In 
this way they would get some of their winter 
hunting while they forced the enemy to keep the 
defensive. At the same time Atotarho sent mes- 
sengers to the Mohawks and Oneidas to ask them 
to become allies in the war. 

When the war party had gone, a sudden silence 
descended on the half-deserted village of Kana- 
tagowa. The people were very busy, for those 
left at home had to work harder than ever to se- 
cure the store of wood and provisions against the 
deep snows of winter and guard against a pos- 
sible attack of the foe. The men who were left 
to defend the village could help little in securing 




'AH the warriors looked to Atotarho for guidance' 



102 The Hero of the Longhouse 

provisions, for they had to scout the forest that 
the enemy might not surprise them. 

Each day White Eagle went in pursuit of 
game. There were few now to hunt for the 
people, and well he knew that there was rejoicing 
when he returned with a deer on his shoulder. 
Game was becoming scarce in the home forests 
and often he had to follow the deer far to the 
northward or southward. 

He was very lonely in the woodlands, for all 
his previous hunting had been shared with trusty 
comrades. Now he followed the deserted trails 
of his people, alone. While he roamed the fa- 
miliar hunting paths, his heart was filled with 
ceaseless battle. He was restless and inwardly 
rebellious, and moon by moon he was tortured 
by questions that he could not answer. 

All this time the clear eyes of Hunadanlu, 
friend of man, looked into the heart of White 
Eagle and saw there the struggle and doubting. 
The old man said: "Truly it costs White Eagle 
much to stand aside from the pathway of glory 
that his companions have entered. He is very 
young to choose in so weighty a matter. But 
White Eagle is losing the mind of his childhood 
and youth, and truly he is seeking a mind that 
can guide him in manhood." 

One day White Eagle brought to Hunadanlu 
the questions that vexed him. He said: "Tisote, 
my Grandfather, long ago Atotarho forsook the 
fishing and his heart has turned away from the 



In the Absence of the Warriors 103 

hunting paths of our ^^eople. When peace comes 
he mopes about, moody and discontented. The 
southern warpaths are worn as never before by 
the feet of the Onondagas. And now Atotarho 
reopens the war trails toward the sunset, and 
swift-footed, leads our people against the western 
Iroquois. Will not a warfare long and bitter 
arise when the Real Men fight with each other?" 

The friend of man replied: "Learn to wait in 
patience, White Eagle. Sorely the people need 
thy service. If thou art patient and brave, thou 
wilt some day serve them in council. Then thou 
canst speak against such warfare." 

But White Eagle answered: "Surely the Great 
Ruler is not pleased with such warfare as the 
Onondagas have brought upon the Seneca 
people ! Does not every hunter in honor, and by 
the law of his religion, give all game a chance to 
fight for its life ? But the Onondagas have stolen 
upon a Seneca village in the absence of its war- 
riors, whose messengers were returned by us with 
a deceitful answer. Never will White Eagle go 
forth in such warfare, for surely the mighty sun, 
Kagagwa, cannot look upon it with favor." 

Hunadanlu replied: "Thy words are well 
spoken, White Eagle, and thou art right in hold- 
ing thy feet from the warpath. Thou must learn 
through long endurance to put thy best thoughts 
into actions. When thou hast learned this, the 
hearts of the people will trust thee." 

After a silence White Eagle said: "Tisote, a 



104 The Hero of the Longhousc 

dark question often comes to the mind of White 
Eagle. Is not Hagwedaetga, the Evil Mind, 
sometimes triumphant? Surely his allies, the 
Evil Spirits, enter the souls of men to lead them 
to mischief! Who shall say that this war is not 
guided by Hagwedaetga?" 

Then Hunadanlu said: "My Son, thou art 
foolish to question the power of the Great 
Ruler. Hagwediyu will always conquer because 
He draws His power from the sky-world, be- 
cause He holds to Heaven. Forget not to help 
forward the work of Hagwediyu wherever thou 
goest, for men-beings are full of magic power 
when they do the work of the Good Mind." 

The next day the quiet of Kanatagowa was 
rudely broken. The death wail sounded close to 
the village, "Koo-weh! Koo-weh! Koo-weh!" 
White Eagle heard it in the distant woodland and 
with swift feet hastened homeward. The body 
of an Onondaga scout had been found near the 
maize field. It was plain that he had been killed 
by a Seneca spy. This was proof enough that the 
enemy was lurking about them. 

The people were dismayed, for their most 
trusted warrior had fallen — the warrior chosen 
by Atotarho to be the leader of the little band 
left to defend the village. 

Thereafter, by day as well as by night, the gate 
of the triple palisade was closed, and every one 
who left the stockade was in danger. There was 
no safety now in forest or open ; and when night 



In the Absence of the Warriors 105 

came, he who ventured from his doorway might 
be struck down in the darkness. But this danger 
made the people more courageous. 

Hunadanlu called the men and youth together 
in council. First, they decided on the best means 
of guarding the village and securing provisions. 
The old men said that they would go out with the 
Boy Hunters and follow the tracks of Okwari, 
well fattened now for his long winter's sleep. The 
warriors and youth would scout the forest. At 
the danger signal, the people would hasten from 
stream and forest to the shelter of the enclosure. 
The men carefully looked over the stores of maize 
that were buried in caches. Then they spoke with 
doubt about the wood for winter. But Shawenis 
answered for the women. The women of Kana- 
tagowa were not cowards. Never would they 
hide in the village until the white snow filled the 
wood paths and covered the fuel. 

The noble Shawenis held council with the 
matrons and maidens. They must go far to find 
enough wood to last through a long winter; 
quickly the strongest offered for that service. 
The store of meat would be small when the men 
returned for the feast of the New Year, for they 
were warriors now and not hunters. The nut 
trees must supply them with food. The boys of 
the village must follow Arosea, the squirrel, to 
the tree tops ; with him they must gather a harvest 
of chestnuts. They must fill the bark barrels with 
the sweet hickory nut and the butternut; they 



106 The Hero of the Longhouse 

must find the hidden stores of the squirrel, and 
the winter's supply of the beaver. The women 
must grub for roots and gather a large supply of 
plants to make warm drinks, while the most ex- 
perienced matrons must seek medicine plants for 
the healing of sickness. 

In three days piles of wood were heaped in the 
enclosure, and every bark barrel was filled to 
oA-erflowing. The braided seed maize hung along 
the rafters, and bunches of herbs filled the long- 
house with fragrance. 

Very thankful were the people at nightfall 
when they all gathered safely about the warm 
fireside and found that none of their number was 
missing. Pleasant to them was the light of Od- 
jista, the fire, and pleasant the faces of kinsfolk 
gathered about it. 

Then the autumn winds were unleashed, and 
the sky became dark and gloomy. They heard 
the distant growl of the North Wind as he ranged 
the desolate woodland; they heard his angry 
screams from the rocking treetops and at the 
corners of the longhouse. Then the cold rains 
descended in torrents. 

But their stockade was strong, and the trench 
without it was deep and wide and soon the rain 
would fill it with water. Nevertheless, their 
hearts misgave them when they thought of their 
scouts hiding and watching in the cold rain of 
the storm-tossed forest ; thought of their warriors 
exposed to hardships and dangers. The hearts of 



In the Absence of the Warriors 107 

the women were filled with silent remonstrance. 
Why should their old men expose themselves to 
the fatigues of the chase? Why should their 
children sleep with danger lurking about them? 
^Vhy should their warriors leave their bodies dis- 
honored and unburied in the land of the stranger? 

Nevertheless, the hearts of the youth were im- 
patient. They thought it hard to be kept at home 
with the women and the old men. They would 
redouble their war practice that they might 
follow Atotarho to honor and glory. The older 
boys of the village looked upon White Eagle with 
curious wonder. He had outdistanced all others 
in the hunting, and they could see that he was 
honored by the wisest of the village. But why 
did he avoid the warpath and stay at home with 
the women? 

One cold night Ty-o-kar-as, the darkness, 
crept close to the village and wrapped it in his 
thickest mantle. Sleep closed the eyes of the 
people ; closed the bright eyes of the children and 
silenced their laughter ; closed the shining eyes of 
maidens and hushed the music of their voices; 
closed the kind eyes of the mothers and quieted 
their fingers ; and very softly closed the dim eyes 
of the aged and filled their minds with visions 
sent by the Great Ruler. 

All at once a glow lighted the village and drove 
the darkness before it. Then a blaze broke from 
the longhouse on the east side of the village. 
Quickly it leaped to the roof and sent a glare over 



108 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the other houses. It lighted up the stockade and 
the distant wood's edge. Wild cries of terror 
broke the silence and awakened Kanatagowa. 
"The Senecas are on us!" The men seized their 
weapons ; the women hurried forth with the chil- 
dren to hide them in the trenches. A longhouse 
of the Bear Clan was blazing! 

White Eagle was the first to discover that 
there was no enemy to meet except the fire that 
was swiftly spreading destruction. Already the 
flames were shooting from every crevice of the 
longhouse and j^ouring through the smoke holes ; 
then with a crash the roof fell, and a huge wall 
of flames arose, leaping toward the stockade 
and forking toward the nearer houses of the 
village. 

In that moment of peril, White Eagle became 
possessed with the strength of ten warriors. With 
a shout he fell on the endangered stockade ; pull- 
ing up the strong and deep -set stakes, he flung 
them far across the trench. At once every youth 
was working with him, and soon the stockade on 
the east side was levelled. Then White Eagle 
called to the people to bring their elm-bark 
vessels. From the rain-filled trenches they car- 
ried water and threw it high over the sides of the 
houses nearest the fire. The youths climbed the 
rafters and drenched the roofs with water. 

It was White Eagle who suggested that scouts 
stand without the broken defenses lest lurking 
Senecas might surprise them. AVhen the fire 



In the Absence of the Warriors 109 

began to die down, he was the first to put his 
hands to the rebuilding of the stockade. 

In that night of danger, the people of Kana- 
tagowa learned that in the youthful White Eagle 
the}'' had a strong defender. Thereafter in the 
absence of the warriors, they would look to him 
as a leader. 



CHAPTER TWELVE 

THE DREAM-FAST OF WHITE EAGLE 

Early in the New Year many of the warriors 
returned to the village, and among them Ondi- 
yaka. He looked on White Eagle with pleasure. 
The youth had grown in stature and fullness so 
that he stood equal in height with his father. He 
had changed in movement and action, and his 
face began to show the expression of manhood. 

As he noted these changes, Ondiyaka said in 
his heart: "The time has come for the dream-fast 
of White Eagle. He is ready now to seek the 
favor of his clan spirit; he is ready to enter the 
life of manhood." 

Ondiyaka had already spoken with White 
Eagle on the greatness of manhood. He had told 
him how it scorned every weakness, how it armed 
itself with alertness and action, how it strength- 
ened itself with control of the body, how it fol- 
lowed the path of honor and the vision of high 
achievements, how it worshiped the Great Ruler. 
All this was the glory of manhood. 

But now he began to speak to his son of the 
meaning of the dream-fast. He said: "Listen, 
lyeaha, my Son, well thou knowest that in sleep 
the soul is freest ; in sleep it can hear the voices of 
good spirits. When thy body is purified and thy 
mind cleared by fasting, then thy soul will find 
its truest vision ; then the sacred dream will come 
nigh thee that is sent by thy clan spirit. In that 
vision thou shalt find thy life's leading." 



The Dream-fast of White Eagle 111 

White Eagle listened to his father's words de- 
voutly, and gladly he prepared for his dream- 
fast. 

In the distant forest he knew of a mountain 
height overlooking wide stretches of country. 
There he hastened to build a lodge for his fasting. 
He built it of young saplings and covered it with 
branches of evergreen hemlock. Before it stood 
a tall pine tree, and below and far away through 
the distance stretched the unbroken forest that 
was touched with the fresh green of the spring- 
time. 

The dream-fast before him was full of strange 
mystery. If need be, ten suns might pass above 
him in that fasting and ten long nights hold him 
in dreams. Three times must his clan spirit re- 
veal his totem. If it were the deer, he would 
wind its soft skin about him to warn away the 
cold winds. If the bear, he would string its 
strong claws to wear round his neck. If the 
wolf, its white teeth should guard him from 
danger. If the beaver, he would wed the water. 
If the turtle, its shell should be his breastplate. 
If a bird, its wings should adorn him.'^ 

When the lodge was finished, he returned to 
the village. He entered the sweat house and care- 
fully cleansed and purified his body. Then came 
Waundana and Shawenis, bringing new clothes 
to White Eagle. They brought the gaka or 
breechcloth, and the belt and moccasins. All 

^ Iroquois Myths and Legends, page 108. 



112 The Hero of the Longhouse 

were wrought by their hands and embroidered in 
the sun pattern. 

The morning for his departure had come. At 
the door of the longhouse stood Waundana and 
Ondiyaka. With them was the aged friend of 
man, Hunadanlu, and the grandmother of White 
Eagle, the wise Shawenis; there, too, was his 
sister, the bright-eyed maiden Gawenneta. 
White Eagle approached them in quiet farewell ; 
then they watched his form retreating toward the 
forest, saw it disappear within the forest. In 
their hearts they were saying: "Farewell to 
White Eagle. No more will the youthful Wliite 
Eagle return to us; instead there will come the 
young man with the vision and purpose of man- 
hood." 

White Eagle believed firmly that his clan 
spirit was near him. All night he lay in the lonely 
pine lodge waiting and watching. With the 
coming of daylight he rose from his bed of pine 
boughs and turning his face toward the sun he 
thanked Hawenniyu, the Master of Life, and 
prayed for His guidance. Then he went to the 
brookside and drank freely of its clear water. 

Each day he sought to do the work of Hag- 
wediyu, the spirit of good, in making war on evil 
things. He killed poisonous serpents and dug 
up hurtful roots and plants and destroyed every- 
thing that was vicious and evil. 

Daily the chiefs came to his lodge that they 
might be assured that all went well with his fast- 
ing. 



The Dream-fast of White Eagle 113 

As the days passed, his mind grew in clearness. 
He put away questions and doubting. He must 
listen and wait for the Word that would guide 
him through the years of his manhood. All night 
long the silent stars moved above him; all day 
the great sun looked upon him. Life, mys- 
terious Yon-he, came closer, nearer. She spoke 
to him in the sighing of the pine trees; in the 
breathing of the forest; in the bird's song at the 
lodge entrance; in the wise, soft calls of the doe 
speaking to her young ones ; in humble, creeping 
worms and insects that might be the Elf Folk. 
Truly, all good creatures were doing the work of 
the great Hawenniyu, Master of Life. Truly 
the world was full of the wonder of Yonhe; full 
of the music and movement of life. And the 
broad trails of Yonhe on land and sea were wide 
enough for all living creatures from the least to 
the greatest. 

Silently the days passed, but no dreams had 
come near White Eagle. On the fourth day 
when the chiefs came and shook the lodge poles, 
he answered as he had done each day before, 
"The clan spirit of White Eagle has not spoken." 

On the fifth day, he lay on his couch in the 
weakness of fasting. On that day old questions 
and doubts like haunting spirits of evil assailed 
him. It was vain to fight against them, for with 
each battle they gi-ew stronger and stronger until 
they filled his mind with denial and darkness. 
He was haunted by the face of the Cherokee cap- 



114 The Hero of the Longhouse 

tive whom he helped to torture in boyhood. He 
could see it gazing at him when the evening 
shadows gathered, see it flitting, pausing, grow- 
ing nearer, the eyes still shining with the light of 
the Good Mind. 

In vain White Eagle fought against this 
haunting phantom. At last it changed and be- 
came the face of Atotarho. The face of the war 
chieftain was dark and frowning; it looked in 
scorn and derision on White Eagle. It called 
him a coward who had hid himself among women. 

In the evening he stood under the night sky. 
He was very weak and weary. His youthful 
dreams of ambition had departed. Like a broken 
child he stood there, and, speaking to the Great 
Ruler as to one who comes the nearest, he asked 
only for light and leading. 

Suddenlj^ he felt himself enfolded by a great 
presence, and in his soul a sacred voice was 
speaking. 

In that moment all the shackles that had so 
grievously bound him fell from his freed spirit. 
In that moment all his questions stood answered. 
Then indeed he knew that all things have their 
being in Hawenniyu, the Master of Life. 

That night in his dream, he stood at the lodge 
entrance. From the forest, myriads of voices 
were speaking as one voice and saying: "Behold 
the pine tree ; pluck its branch and find its story." 

All that sixth day he lay on his couch and 
listened to Ostaa, the pine tree, that spoke in a 



The Dream-fast of White Eagle 115 

voice soft cand human. The good teachings of his 
childhood, the great traditions of his people, 
seemed to breathe from its branches in audible 
words — now in the low voice of his mother, now 
in the deep voice of the wise Hunadanlu, friend 
of man. And as he listened he seemed like one 
who understands for the first time. 

When the chiefs came and shook the lodge 
poles, White Eagle replied, "Once has my clan 
spirit spoken." 

On the seventh night as he slept, he heard 
again the sacred voice speaking clearly. It said, 
"In Ostaa, the pine tree, is thy life's promise and 
leading; pluck its branch and read its story." 

When White Eagle awoke, the sky was red 
with dawn. He was filled with new purpose and 
strength. Gladly he rose and thanked the Great 
Ruler. Then he stepped to the lodge door and 
stretching forth his hand to the pine tree, broke 
a small twig that might be the sacred sign of his 
life's leading. As he plucked that branch of the 
white pine, a single group of its needles dropped 
downward. He stooped to pick them up. He 
looked at them a moment. Then in joy and 
wonder he read in them the promise of his dream- 
fast. For the needles of Ostaa, were firmly bound 
together in clusters of five. Eagerly White 
Eagle scanned the branch that he held. Every- 
where were five needles bound firmly together; 
everywhere on the ground the five united needles 
had fallen. 



116 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Then the clan spirit of White Eagle whis- 
pered: "Here is the symbol of the five tribes of 
the Real Men, and the promise of their union. 
Each pine leaf stands for a tribe, and the union 
of the five is the sign of the bond which the Great 
Wisdom sees between the Real Men." 

That day when the chiefs came and shook the 
lodge pole, White Eagle replied in a clear voice: 
"Twice has my clan spirit spoken." 

Again that night White Eagle heard the voice 
of his clan spirit. This time it spoke from the 
pine tree. It said, "In Ostaa, behold the sign of 
thy work and its promise." 

White Eagle awoke as one who goes forth to 
meet a great future. He stood at the doorway 
and thanked the Great Ruler. Then he looked on 
the pine tree, saying: "Surely the clan spirit of 
White Eagle has spoken in the voice of Ostaa, 
the pine tree. Surely it has shown White Eagle 
the symbol of his life's endeavor. Surely it has 
placed on AVhite Eagle the great work of uniting 
the tribes of the Real Men!" 

That day when the chiefs shook the lodge 
poles, White Eagle spoke: "Three times has my 
clan spirit revealed himself in the sacred emblem 
of the pine tree. Yet will I linger one day more 
for teaching." 

On the eighth day White Eagle returned to 
the village. He came as one who walks in free- 
dom, and his face was uphfted and shining. 

Then Hunadanlu said: "He has sought his 




"In joy and wonder he read . . . the promise of 
his dream-fast" 



118 The Hero of the Longhouse 

own mind and found it, he hcas found the mind of 
his manhood. In his soul a word has been spoken. 
Let him be called Hiawatha, he who finds his lost 
mind close beside him," 

So Hiawatha returned to his people, bearing 
on his bosom the sacred symbol of his life's en- 
deavor, the sacred promise of the uniting of the 
Real Men. Thus he received the name that 
would be beloved by the Real Men so long as 
wood grows and water runs on the broad island 
of Ataensic. 



PART TWO 

Defending the Homeland 



CHAPTER THIRTEEN 

THE PLANTING FESTIVAL 

Just before dawn of the first day of planting, 
while yet the village slept, came the blessing of 
the fields. Out of the longhouse of the Wolf 
Clan, stepped the maiden Wa-nut-ha. She was 
dressed in new garments; her long hair was 
fastened by a band worked in blue and red and 
yellow. 

The strong, fresh air of the morning was blow- 
ing upward from the Gasunto. It brought with 
it the freshness of the forest and the fragrance 
of bursting leaf buds. Already the darkness was 
touched with the mystery of dawn. Wanutha 
paused and lifted her face toward the east where 
was glowing the dawn star, the lovely Star Wo- 
man whose touch lighted the council fire of Kaga- 
gwa. As she stood there the maiden silently 
prayed for the blessing of the Great Ruler. 
Then in reverent awe she took her way to the 
freshly plowed open. 

Well Wanutha knew that 0-na-ta, the corn 
spirit, was abroad in her maize fields. As she 
went forward in the pale dawn-light, the maiden 
felt sure that the glorious Onata was walking 
through her fields. Was not Onata standing 
there at the west edge of the open, her maize 
garments all rosy with the glow of the east sky? 
Surely the eyes of Onata were gazing on Wa- 
nutha! She could feel their soft shining from 
the distance like stars reflected in night waters. 

121 



122 The Hero of the Longhouse 

But when the morning light grew clearer, the 
rosy shining of Onata's garments had faded and 
Wanutha stood alone in the silent open. 

Slowly the maiden encircled the fields with her 
footsteps. As she went forward she scattered 
the first grains of the maize seed and prayed to 
Onata, the corn spirit, to bless the fields of the 
people. 

While Wanutha was sprinkling the earth with 
the first maize seed, Hiawatha and Sosondoweh 
met in the dawn-light to make the vow of friend- 
ship. Together they stood at the edge of the 
forest ready to take on themselves the bond that 
should never be loosed so long as they both trod 
Yo-an-ja, the life-giving earth. 

For a few moments they stood looking toward 
the east sky; then with hands united they spoke 
the sacred words of promise: "I will be to thee a 
faithful friend and comrade. In difficulty and 
danger, I will aid thee; in sorrow I will comfort 
thee; in death by battle I will not forsake thy 
body; always I will guard thine honor, and, if 
need come, I will avenge it with my life." 

After that pledge was given, both stood in 
silence until they saw Kagagwa, the great sun 
warrior, lift his head in the east. Then without 
words, they parted. 

Hiawatha turned into the forest. Once he 
looked back to see Sosondoweh. His friend had 
disappeared in the village ; but, coming up from 
the maize fields, he saw a shining maiden in 



The Planting Festival 123 

beautiful garments. Her face was all alight with 
the rosy glow of morning. Like the spirit of 
dawn, she was clothed in the glorious brightness 
of Kagagwa. For a moment Hiawatha looked 
on her as if he were seeing a blessed vision ; then 
he whispered, "It is Wanutha, who returns from 
blessing the maize field." As he turned to the 
forest, his heart rebuked him because he had 
dared look on the maiden who was performing 
the first sacred rite of the Planting Festival. But 
never through all the years of his life did that 
vision of Wanutha forsake Hiawatha. 

An hour later, the fields were flooded with the 
friendly sunlight. Then the women went forth 
to the open, and gladly they planted the fields 
whose harvest should sustain the lives of their 
children. As they worked, they saw Gaga, the 
crow, looking on with curious interest. Surely 
the wise Gaga knew what they were doing. Ages 
ago he had winged his way from the sun, bring- 
ing the first kernels of maize to Hagwediyu, 
spirit of good, that he might plant them above 
the grave of Ataensic, his mother. 

A few days later the ordered fields had all been 
filled with the precious maize seed. Then came 
the Planting Festival, when the people assembled 
to ask the blessing of Hawenniyu, the Great 
Ruler, on the seed which they had placed in the 
earth. 

From their most precious stores, the clan 
mothers prepared the choicest food for the fes- 



124 The Hero of the Longhouse 

tival. In tlie early morning the people assembled 
in the place of council, for their Fathers had 
taught them that the first part of the day is 
sacred to the Great Ruler. Dressed in their 
newest garments, they came forth from the doors 
of the long bark lodges — the men and the 
youths, the matrons and maidens and children — 
in all the village there was no one absent. The 
maiden, Wanutha, led her aged grandmother, 
Xogondih. Very slowly they walked, for the 
grandmother was bent and blind. As they moved 
onward, Xogondih received many kindly greet- 
ings, and these she answered speaking the name 
of the one who addressed her. For Ohanta, the 
ear, had learned to do many things better for 
Nogondih since the light of the eye had failed 
her. 

When the people were gathered in the place of 
council, the men on one side, the women and 
children on the other, the well-loved Hunadanlu 
addressed them. He said: "Radixaa, my Chil- 
dren, the eyes of the Great Ruler follow 
your footsteps. He looks on your good deeds 
with pleasure and though many moons pass, He 
remembers to reward them. Ye shall be kind to 
the evil as well as the good, for this is the will 
of the Great Wisdom. Ye shall drive from your 
hearts all enmity that lurks there, lest the bitter 
spirit of revenge awaken among you and follow 
you without sleeping. Radixaa, my Children, 
continue to listen. Ye who strive to be numbered 



The Planting Festival 125 

with the great of the Real jMen must Hve in love 
with each other. Ye shall do justice to all. In 
the longhouse or forest, on the hunting path or 
in council, as ye meet with the warriors or women 
or with the little children, ye shall be upright in 
the smallest action; for this is pleasing to the 
watchful eyes of Hawenniyu, the Great 
Wisdom." 

The people listened to these words with silent 
attention, and even while they listened they put 
away evil thoughts so that they might truly 
please the blaster of Life. 

And now the moment had come when a band 
of young men should stand before the people in 
worship. With reverent interest the people 
awaited the great feather dance of the Iroquois. 
Soon the band of dancers appeared in full dress, 
led by Hiawatha; one following the other, they 
entered the circle. Their movements, slow and 
stately, following each other in rhythmical 
order, imaged in action the worship of the 
Great Ruler. 

As they gave one figure, and then another, of 
the great dance of their people, the dancers fixed 
their thoughts on the words chanted by the 
singers. While the singers repeated the great 
prayer of the JMen of jNIen, the dancers pictured 
it in action. 

"We thank our Mother, the Earth, for the 
grasses, flowers and shrubs that cover her bosom ; 
for the precious seeds that give promise of bar- 



120 The Hero of the Longhouse 

vest. We thank the rivers and streams that 
supply life and comfort to the soil; we thank the 
herbs and plants of the earth, and the fruit-bear- 
ing bushes and trees. We thank the winds for 
their purifying power, and we thank Heno, the 
thunderer, who sends rain on the earth. We 
thank the moon and stars that give light while 
the sun rests, and we thank the sun for his ben- 
eficent eyes that look on the earth, regulate the 
seasons, and watch for the comfort of men. We 
thank the Great Creator who is the source of our 
health and life. We are grateful for the Ho-no- 
che-no-kee, our invisible helpers, the servants of 
the Great Ruler. We thank the Master of Life 
for the wisdom that guides to truth; we implore 
Him to keep us from evil ways so that the sun 
will not hide his face and leave us in darkness." 

This day the feather dance came with new 
meaning, for the people had been long oppressed 
with the fears and cares brought by warfare. It 
gladdened the hearts of the aged men and women 
to see their strongest young men come before 
them dressed in new garments, their action no 
longer telling the story of warfare but picturing 
thanksgiving and worshijD. 

^lany of the people spoke in hushed voices of 
the name and totem of Hiawatha. The wisest 
among them said, "It is a totem of good omen. 
Always has the tree been sacred to the Real Men 
because in the beginning its roots pointed the 
earth-way to the Sky Mother. 



The Planting Festival 127 

That night beside the silent maize fields Huna- 
danlu stood and looked across the dark earth 
where were hidden the precious seeds that would 
give bread to the people. He, too, was thinking 
on Hiawatha's totem, the miited five needles of 
the pine tree. The old man's heart rejoiced, for 
he perceived that the clan spirit of Hiawatha had 
confirmed the promise given in vision at the birth- 
time of the little AMiite Eagle. For that day 
Hiawatha had revealed to Hunadanlu, the 
keeper of the faith, the hidden meaning of the 
pine-tree totem; he had told Hunadanlu of the 
great work that had been enjoined with the gift 
of that totem. 

Hunadanlu was thankful, for he read in 
this symbol of the united ])me needles the ful- 
fillment of the dream promise sent at the birth of 
White Eagle. ^AHien the united five tribes sat 
down together in council, would there not be a 
peace smoke that should cover the broad island of 
Ataensic? 

But in that hour a foreboding arose in the mind 
of the far-seeing Hunadanlu. In that future 
work would not Hiawatha find in Atotarho a 
powerful opjDonent? Surely the ambitious war 
chieftain would never consent to a peace alliance 
between the five tribes of the Real ^len, unless 
it were achieved through conquest! Then a 
sudden question arose in the mind of Hunadanlu : 
"Could it be that Atotarho was the bird of dark- 
ness that had harried and driven the White Eagle 
of his dreams?" 



CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

THE DEFENSE OF KANATAGOWA 

The demands of war had been heavy. The 
planting season found the food supply of the 
Onondagas so far reduced that it was cause for 
apprehension to the elders of the people. The 
store of dried meat and fish was exhausted ; and 
so long as the hunters and fishers were kept on 
the warpath, there was small prospect of its re- 
newal. 

Game was becoming scarce about Kanata- 
gowa, and the hunting and fishing done by 
those who remained at home was barely sufficient 
to meet the daily wants of the people. Worst of 
all, the large supply of maize that had been laid 
up during the peace period was exhausted by the 
demands of the warriors for parched corn, and 
by the need, in the absence of meat, of an almost 
exclusive maize diet for the women and children. 

Already there was discontent among the 
women ; for they saw that their children were be- 
ginning to sicken for lack of suitable food, while 
they knew that for the same cause their own 
strength was waning. 

The discontent of the home people was well 
known to Atotarho. He knew also that the peace 
party was daily growing stronger and his power 
to continue the war more uncertain. The plans 
of the war chieftain were thwarted most often by 
the Turtle Clan, that always led the peace party. 
There was a new threat of danger to his warlike 



The Defense of Kanatagowa 129 

ambition in the fact that Ondiyaka, the powerful 
\Yo\i chieftain, had lately taken a stand against 
the Seneca war. Atotarho was not slow to see 
that one cause for this change lay in the influence 
of Hiawatha. The young man's open withdrawal 
from war had drawn marked attention, while his 
undoubted courage and devotion to the people 
had won him universal trust and honor. 

In his heart, Atotarho believed that another 
successful invasion of the Seneca land would 
compel the Senecas to seek peace with the Onon- 
dagas. But he feared that the demand for the 
closing of the war might come first from his own 
people. For this reason he eagerly awaited a 
pretext for again invading the enemy's country. 
This was not long in coming. 

In the fawn moon, when the blades of corn 
were a span high, a runner entered Kanatagowa 
to report that the whole body of Seneca warriors 
had moved westward toward the country of the 
Eries. 

At once a council assembled. The most for- 
cible speakers of the war party urged that the 
enemy's movement was probably a ruse to de- 
ceive the Onondagas. The people must prepare 
for an immediate invasion. 

After his elders had finished, Atotarho arose, 
and his speech was short and decisive. 

"Brothers, if the Senecas are on the w^arpath 
against us, we must be quick to call our warriors 
together and meet them before they have time to 



130 The Hero of the Longhouse 

surprise us. If, however, the foe is invading some 
tribe to the westward, it is the moment for the 
Onondagas to strike a decisive blow. In either 
case our warriors must assemble and descend like 
a forest fire on the land of the Great Hill People. 
Naho. I have spoken." 

This speech was received with shouts of ap- 
proval from most of the warriors. 

Immediately the swiftest runners were sent to 
summon the other villages of the Onondagas and 
to ask the Oneidas and Mohawks to join. The 
Onondaga war party was speedily ready. 

While Atotarho was eager to take the offensive 
and surprise the principal towns of the Senecas, 
he was secretly uneasy for the safety of the Onon- 
daga country. Xo fresh news of the enemy's 
movements had reached him. He suspected that 
the foe might then be on Skanodario. He knew 
that if the Senecas were bent on an invasion, they 
would spare no trouble in eluding his scouts. Yet 
so great was his faith in his system of scouting, 
that he did not believe that the enemy could move 
eastward on land or water, without his receiving 
a warning. So Atotarho determined to move at 
once toward the enemy's country, marching 
slowly at first until he was certain of the foe's 
position. At Kanatagowa he left four of his 
best runners. Should danger threaten the home 
country, they would bring him swift warning. 

With the departure of the war party, an om- 
inous silence settled on Kanatagowa. The 



The Defense of Kanatagowa 131 

elders talked together in council. With the 
chance of approaching danger, the peoj^le had 
need of a trusty defender and leader; with a 
single impulse they turned to Hiawatha. 

At once Hiawatha assembled the men and 
boys. He arranged a signal that should instantly 
call them together, and he sent the best trained 
of the youth to scout the country northward. He 
gave strict orders for the women and children to 
remain within easy reach of the village. He 
looked at the scant supply of arrows left by the 
warriors and ordered every man who could use 
the bone flaker to begin the work of making 
arrows. There was a small spring within the 
enclosure. Xevertheless, he ordered the fullest 
supply of water to be brought from the river. 
Then he moved about the stockade and examined 
it closely. A steep bank on three sides of the 
village gave a natural protection. An attack 
would surely be made from the side nearest the 
forest. The women and children brought stones 
which the men piled into a breastwork on the 
forest side of the stockade. From the river they 
brought the canoes and placed them on top of 
this stone wall to make it higher. 

Hiawatha sent Daweyongo, the most saga- 
cious of the younger scouts, to a wooded and 
rocky height that commanded a distant view of 
the Oswego. This was the same Daweyongo, 
sworn friend of the exiled Aodogweh, who had 
broken the skull of one of the great bears that 



132 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the Boy Foxes slew. Swiftly and noiselessly, 
Daweyongo ran through the forest, reaching the 
point just as the first light of Kagagwa reddened 
the east sky. The young warrior inspected the 
place, and his resolve was soon taken. He would 
be taught by the snake, the wily Saista. Cau- 
tiously he took a position that, at a distance, 
made his body indistinguishable among the 
gnarled and broken trees. 

His watching was long and weary. Slowly 
Kagagwa crossed the heavens, while Daweyongo 
patiently held his place. All the next sun, his 
watching was continued. On the morning of the 
third sun, Daweyongo's keen eyes saw a dark 
object move down the shining waters of the dis- 
tant Oswego. It was followed by another and 
another. 

Three times, at short intervals, Daweyongo 
sounded the danger call. He heard it taken up 
by a distant voice, and then by another still more 
distant. Soon the call was repeated close to 
Kanatagowa, "Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah!" 

At that signal, Hiawatha sent out the four 
runners. They ran two by two, and each pair 
took a different course. They were to warn Ato- 
tarho of the peril of the village. And now from 
every side the danger signal sounded. From 
open and forest the people hurried into the en- 
closure. 

Hiawatha placed the men and boys behind the 
stone breastwork. He said, "No arrow is to be 




'He took a {josition lliuU al a ilisluuce, made his body 
indistinguishable among the gnarled and broken trees" 



134 The Hero of the Longhouse 

wasted. The shooting must begin and end at 
my signal." The women hurried to hide their 
young children. Soon the village appeared de- 
serted. 

Hardly were these preparations completed, 
when a deafening war cry sounded from the 
forest, and a band of Senecas broke from the 
wood's edge and advanced swiftly on the village. 
As they neared the palisade thej^ were met by a 
shower of arrows that checked them. They 
pressed forward to the stockade and vainly at- 
tempted to scale it. The triple wall of strong 
stakes was firm, and the arrows bit them as they 
struggled to destroy it. 

Almost immediately the foe fell back to the 
forest. There was a long-continued silence. Sud- 
denly the enemy advanced again from the wood's 
edge. This time they were bearing their canoes 
before them as shields. When the Senecas 
reached the stockade, the defenders saw the 
gleam of blazing torches. Each enemy warrior, 
aiming with precision, hurled a torch of blazing 
pitch at the roof of a longhouse. 

At once the women and children became war- 
riors. Boys and girls nimbly ran to the roofs like 
squirrels and threw down the burning torches, 
while the women brought water to drench the 
tops of the bark houses. Meanwhile Hiawatha 
and his best bowmen sent their arrows wherever 
the enemy was uncovered. 

Fearing that the supply of water would be 



The Defense of Kanatagowa 135 

exhausted, Hiawatha ordered the women not to 
throw it unless a fire was started. The warning 
was timely. Unobserved a burning torch had 
fallen at the side of a bark house; in a moment 
the flames leaped upward. Short and sharp was 
the battle. The women threw large mats over the 
fire, drenching all with water from their elm-bark 
vessels. Soon the fire was extinguished, but the 
water supply was exhausted. 

Well indeed it was for Onondaga that the 
enemy did not perceive this new peril of the de- 
fenders. When the Senecas had used all their 
torches, they abandoned the attempt to burn the 
village. 

Then the shooting was resumed with great pre- 
cision. ]Many of the defenders were wounded, 
but some of these plucked out the arrows and 
continued to do battle. 

The sun was at the highest point of the heavens 
when the attack began. As the hours passed, the 
foe became more furious. Within the stockade 
the supply of arrows was becoming smaller and 
smaller; and now, between the attacks, each man 
seized his bone flaker and hastily chipped an 
arrow. 

The sun had touched the western tree tops, 
when the wearied defenders of Kanatagowa 
heard a warning call from the forest. Instantly 
the Senecas withdrew, carrying their fallen with 
them. But before they left the open, they de- 
scended on the maize fields, swiftly uprooting the 
young corn and leaving ruin behind them. 



130 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Hiawatha, standing among the people, uttered 
a cry of dismay when he saw that attack on the 
precious maize fields. Their enemy had found 
a way sorely to afflict the village. 

Soon a silence fell along the wood's edge. A 
half hour later the whole force of Onondaga 
warriors appeared before Kanatagowa. 

Atotarho's face was dark and ireful when he 
found that the foe had eluded his war party. But 
it was still darker when he learned that the 
stronghold of the Onondagas had been saved by 
the sagacious courage of his youthful rival, Hia- 
watha, who by that act had won the right to wear 
the heron feather and to be numbered with the 
most trusted warriors. 



CHAPTER FIFTEEN 

THE DEATH OF ONDIYAKA 

When the war party had departed, the clan 
mothers of the village turned their thoughts to 
the ruined fields. During the planting moon 
there had been little rain; and now, at the be- 
ginning of the fawn moon, the earth was dry 
and rainless. With sad apprehension the women 
of Kanatagowa carefully planted the last of the 
precious maize seed. 

A week passed. One evening Waundana, 
mother of Hiawatha and Gawenneta, was sit- 
ting alone at the doorway of the longhouse; her 
eyes were turned toward the maize fields lying 
bare and black in the gathering twilight. Seven 
days before, Hiawatha, with a band of young 
hunters, had gone to the shores of Skanodario. 
This very sun two of the party had returned with 
news that the fishing had been fruitless and that 
there was little game in the forest. The deer that 
they had brought with them was thin in flesh. 
Waundana was oppressed by this new threat of 
famine. She was oppressed by heavy forebodings 
because of the ruined maize fields, and still more 
by the thought of Ondiyaka, her husband, on the 
distant war path. Ondiyaka disapproved of the 
Seneca war and spoke openly against it. How 
long would Atotarho brook such opposition? 

As darkness gathered, Och-do-ah, the bat, 
suddenly flew from the pine tree and circled 
around her. Waundana started when she saw 

137 



138 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the creature of ill omen. It disappeared, but only 
to reappear and come nearer. It flitted about her 
head and then darted back to the pine tree. Her 
heart beat loud as she waited. Again the thing 
of evil omen darted toward her; this time it 
circled about her head, and thrice its cold wings 
touched her forehead. After that it came no 
more. 

Surely Waundana had received warning from 
the Elf Folk that foretold sudden and dire evil! 
Trembling with fear, she hurried to tell Huna- 
danlu. 

When she had finished, the old man said: 
"Three times has Ochdoah touched your fore- 
head with his evil wings. Some dark disaster ap- 
proaches. I will pray the Great Ruler to send 
the Honochenokee, the invisible helpers, to guard 
thee." 

The next day Hiawatha returned from the 
hunting, and in his strong presence Waundana 
forgot her misgivings. But as the sun was de- 
clining, the call of a runner sounded. Hiawatha, 
standing outside the stockade, saw an Onondaga 
enter the village to announce the return of the 
warriors. Soon the war party in full dress 
emerged from the forest. The men were led by 
Atotarho, who proudly displayed the scalps he 
had taken. A group of captives followed. At 
the end of the procession, a group of the Wolf 
Clan bore a dead chieftain. A sudden fear chilled 
the heart of Hiawatha. He hurried forward and 



The Death of Ondiyaka 139 

looked on the face of the dead. It was Ondiyaka, 
his father! Then above the shouts of victory 
there sounded a strong cry of anguish that star- 
tled the woodland; it was the wail of Hiawatha. 

At midnight Hunadanlu, the friend of man, 
stood in the deserted place of council. He had 
questioned the men who had found the dead 
chieftain. He had learned that the Onondagas 
were returning and were less than an hour dis- 
tant from Kanatagowa when last the Wolf chief- 
tain was seen among them. Ondiyaka, full of 
vigor and the joy of home-coming, had run in 
advance of the others. All at once they had come 
on his body but lately fallen. A single arrow 
had pierced the brain. The scalj) was untouched. 
In vain they had searched the forest; there was 
no sign of a foe. 

The arrow that had struck Ondiyaka was given 
to Hunadanlu. The old man looked at it long 
and intently. The flint point was skillfully bev- 
eled at each edge so that the shaft would whirl 
in its flight. It was not like the Seneca arrows. 
The best arrow maker of the Bear Clan had made 
many like it. The friend of man was filled with 
deep misgiving. When he left the place of 
council he carried the fatal arrow with him. He 
hoped that it would be forgotten; that he could 
keep the arrow hidden from the clansmen 
of the dead chieftain. 

The wailers had wept ; the death song had been 
chanted; the war paint lined the strong face of 



140 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the dead Ondiyaka. He had been crowned with 
heron feathers, the Iroquois emblem of power. 
In his hands rested his flint scalping knife and 
war club; and, robed in rich deerskins, his dead 
body waited the sunrise. 

When the sun reached the east sky, the people 
of the Wolf Clan appeared in a body as 
mourners. First came the sachems and chiefs; 
these were followed by the family of Ondiyaka 
and his kinsfolk. After them came the Turtle 
Clan; and, following in long procession, walked 
the warriors of the Bear Clan. 

They wrapped the chieftain's body in the bark 
of the elm, and lowered it into the earth. Then 
the sachems and chiefs formed in a circle around 
the grave. Each in turn, beginning with the eld- 
est, cast into it three handfuls of earth. The first 
in remembrance of the Great Ruler; the second 
of the sun, Kagagwa; the third of the Earth 
Mother, Yoanja. When the grave was filled, the 
eldest sachem placed at its head the deerhorns of 
the dead Ondiyaka, the emblem of his office. 
There they would remain until his successor was 
elected. 

On the evening of that day, Hiawatha released 
a captured bird above the grave of Ondiyaka. 
For a moment the freed bird lay still in the open 
hands of Hiawatha, then it spread its wings and 
swept away toward the west sky, bearing with 
it the spirit of the dead Ondiyaka; bearing it 
toward the Sunset-Land of the Blessed. 




Hiawatha released a captured bird above the grave 
of Ondivaka" 



142 The Hero of the Longhouse 

As night fell, Hiawathca lighted a fire at the 
head of the grave of his father. All night Hia- 
watha sat there, and with him was his mother, 
Waundana, and his sister, Gawenneta. For nine 
nights that fire was kept burning, and those 
nearest the dead Ondiyaka watched beside it until 
daybreak. Not until the soul of Ondiyaka had 
arrived at the end of its journey was the sacred 
fire extinguished. 

During the time that the grave fire was burn- 
ing, the quiet eyes of Hunadanlu followed Hia- 
watha with a question. Would he guess the secret 
that was buried with Ondiyaka, the secret carried 
in the heart of the restless Atotarho? That ques- 
tion was quickly answered. 

The first morning after the fire was extin- 
guished on the grave of the Wolf chieftain, Hia- 
watha suddenly stood beside Hunadanlu and 
said: 

"Tisote, I would see the arrow that brought 
death to my father." 

Without speaking, Hunadanlu drew the arrow 
from his quiver and placed it in the hand of Hia- 
watha. Carefully Hiawatha scanned it. Then 
he said, as if in answer to a question, "It was 
made in the Bear Clan. There are many like it 
in the quivers of its chieftains. Tisote, this arrow 
shall be worn on the breast of Hiawatha until he 
has avenged the death of his father." 

Hunadanlu said: "My Son, when that arrow 
struck Ondiyaka, there was no man to see it. On 



The Death of Ondiyaka 143 

whom would you avenge the death of your 
father?" 

Brief was Hiawatha's answer. "My vengeance 
shall follow Atotarho." 

Silentlj^ the old man turned and looked at Hia- 
watha, noted the height and strength of his figure, 
noted the tension of his muscles, and the signs of 
passion in his darkened face. Then he spoke: 
"lyeaha, my Son, it is forbidden." 

Quickly the answer came, "By whom is it for- 
bidden?"' 

And Hunadanlu answered, "It is forbidden by 
the totem of Hiawatha." 

After a moment the old man spoke again, 
"Never can Hiawatha stand for the union of the 
Real jNIen if he leads the Wolf Clan in vengeance 
against the Bear Clan; for the clan bond must be 
used to unite the Real Men, not to destroy them." 

Silently the young warrior lifted the totem 
from his breast; it was a gorget on which the blind 
Ganiuska had carved a group of five united 
pine needles. Long and earnestly he gazed on it 
and then on the arrow. Again and again he 
looked from one to the other as if he were de- 
ciding between two difficult pathways. The pas- 
sion slowly faded from his face that was now 
gravely resolute. With a decisive movement he 
returned the arrow to Hunadanlu and turned 
away without speaking. 



CHAPTER SIXTEEN 

THE BLIGHT OF THE MAIZE FIELDS 

Among the Seneca captives brought back by 
Atotarho, was the daughter of a chieftain. This 
maiden was given to Shawenis in place of a son 
who had long ago fallen. Shawenis spared the 
life of the Seneca girl, who, soon after the burial 
of Ondiyaka, was adopted and given the name of 
Ai-jah. Thereafter the maiden shared in the 
labor of the household and shared in all the priv- 
ileges that belonged to a daughter of Shawenis. 

Soon the ears of Aijah began to understand 
the Onondaga language; more slowly her lips 
learned to speak it. In that moon many words 
were uttered in the lodge of the Turtles, that had 
deep import for Aijah. For Hiawatha, with elo- 
quent persuasion, was leading his clansmen to see 
that peace should be made with the Seneca 
people. He pointed to the empty maize caches 
and the exhausted meat stores and asked his 
clansmen a single question, "Where is the food 
to sustain warfare?" 

Then the words of Hiawatha began to be re- 
peated in every longhouse of the Turtles. Soon 
they had reached the Turtle Clan in every village 
of the Onondagas. At last the peace talk of the 
Turtles was whispered here and there in the clans 
of the Bear and Wolf and Beaver. Then, when 
the people of Onondaga saw that they were 
facing a famine, that peace talk became open. 

But the warriors who shared the counsels of 



The Blight of the 31 ate Fields 145 

Atotarho had been busy, and jDeace words were 
met by vehement demands for revenge. The war- 
loving among the Bears and Wolves began to 
make loud demand that the death of Ondiyaka be 
avenged on the Cayuga and Seneca peoples. 

A council of the Onondaga tribe was called to 
meet at Kanatagowa. From near and far the 
people came. They threaded their way through 
the forests and along stream sides. They passed 
the sites of old towns standing lonely and silent 
in the midst of waste maize fields. The well- 
beaten trails that led into Kanatagowa from the 
east and south were filled with people. They 
came in companies, the old men and w^arriors and 
chieftains, the elder women, the mothers and 
maidens. There were young men and youth 
eager to watch and listen; there were those bent 
with the burdens of many winters ; there were the 
little children running beside their mothers: for 
all came with equal right to the council of the 
Onondagas. 

Ring w^ithout ring the great circle was ordered, 
the men and warriors on one side, the women on 
the other. There were rugged chiefs, active and 
stalwart and upright. There were the deep-lined 
faces of the elder men and women, who had trav- 
eled far toward the Land of the Sunset. There 
was the circle of women and maidens and chil- 
dren; there was the group of young men and 
strong warriors. 

They were gathered in clans that fronted each 



146 The Hero of the Longhouse 

other. Foremost among the Bear Clan, sat the 
war chieftain Atotarho. Silent and haughty he 
sat there, his dark, handsome face marked by- 
pride and genius. His eyes were watchful and 
restless; his hands were half closed. His every 
look and action showed a man whose counsels 
were dark and secret. 

At the front of the clan of the Turtles sat 
its proud and fearless chieftain, Hosahaho, son 
of Shawenis. Beside him was Hunadanlu, 
friend of man, the father of the people, and the 
most beloved of the elders. His face was strong 
and gentle and filled at once with force and wis- 
dom. The tall form of Hiawatha stood out 
among the Turtles, his head adorned with a heron 
feather that had been bestowed for his courage in 
the defense of Kanatagowa. A smoldering fire 
burned in the eyes of many of the Wolf Clan, 
showing that their thoughts M^ere on vengeance. 

After the council was opened the elders and 
leaders of the Wolf Clan called for a continuance 
of war to avenge the death of Ondiyaka. Their 
words found quick assent from the leaders of the 
war party. But the Turtle Clan stood unitedly 
for a cessation of warfare. 

All this time Atotarho had been silent. Sud- 
denly he rose and spoke in swift, decisive words : 
"Brothers, if the Onondagas would have peace 
they must win it by warfare. "Wlien the foe is 
conquered, Atotarho will bury the war club deep 
in the earth. 



The Blight of the Maize Fields 147 

"Listen, my Brothers. The Senecas sit in their 
towns, and their thoughts are busy plotting war 
against the Onondagas. If they ask peace of the 
Onondagas, their tongues are crooked and speak 
words that are deceitful. 

"Brothers, the Cayugas have fought with the 
Senecas in this warfare and still they are unpun- 
ished. Let the warriors of Onondaga descend on 
the Cayuga towns and teach them how the People 
of the Hills take vengeance. Let the Wolf Clan 
be avenged, and let the Cayugas learn to fear the 
power of Onondaga. In this w\iy the Onondagas 
will make their victory complete and lasting, and 
this stain upon the Wolf Clan will be wiped away 
forever. Xaho." 

The words of Atotarho brought instant re- 
sponse from the war party. The war spirit 
spread quickly from clan to clan until it seemed 
that the Snipe and Beaver were joining the 
strong lead of the Bears and Wolves. 

At that moment Hosahaho arose from his place 
among the Turtles and began to speak at the re- 
quest of the noble women, the Royaners of all 
Onondaga. The words were Hosahaho's but 
they carried the wishes of the Royaners. 

"My Brothers, the women of Onondaga lament 
the losses suffered in this war by all the tribes of 
Real Men. Is there a warrior who has not lost a 
son, or a brother, or friend? How can you bear 
to behold the sorrows of widowed wives, or look 
on the bereaved mothers sitting at desolate, 



148 The Hero of the Longhouse 

enipt}^ firesides? No more will they watch for 
the happy return of their sons, no longer look 
forward to the proud return of the hunter laden 
with game to provide for their wants in the cold 
winter. Lonely and unprotected, they see the 
long pathway of age stretching before them. 
Cheerfully and willingly have they labored in 
rearing their sons to manhood. It is cruel to see 
these children of their labor grow up in strength 
and beauty only to fall victims to the rage of 
warfare, only to become the prey of a relentless 
foe. 

"Listen, Brothers. The mothers of Onondaga 
have seen their sons go forth to be slaughtered 
in battle, to be put to death by slow torture, to 
languish far from their homes as hopeless cap- 
tives. These things make their lives a burden and 
they shudder to have been mothers to such pur- 
pose. 

"Brothers, as you love our people, turn your 
faces once more toward your homes. Forgive 
the wrongs you have suffered, lay aside your 
deadly weapons. On all sides there has been 
proof of surpassing courage. Each nation con- 
tending is high-minded and brave. In all honor 
the Onondaga s and their allies can smoke the 
peace pipe with the Senecas and Cayugas. 

"Brothers, continue to listen. Are not our 
maize fields parched, and the food stores of years 
of abundance exhausted by warfare? All the 
wide bark barrels are empty, all the deep -dug 



The Blight of the Mahe Fields 149 

caches uncovered ; all the dried meat and fish have 
been eaten, and no longer the braided maize ears 
canopy the roof of the longhouse. Already our 
children suffer the pangs of hunger, and our 
hearts are sick when we think of the famine that 
awaits. AVhat can save us from destruction if 
our hunters turn again to the warj^ath?" 

When Hosahaho had finished, another spirit 
moved the people. 

As the warriors looked on the faces of their 
women and children, their eyes were suddenly 
opened. Everywhere they saw the marks of 
labor and hunger and sorrow. They looked about 
tlie wide circle and saw the many empty places 
of warriors and young men. They remembered 
the leaders that once stood among them, whose 
voices were forever hushed in the council. They 
remembered with new apprehension the threat 
of famine and sickness; all this was the fruitage 
of warfare. 

So it was that the counsel of the women pre- 
vailed, and for a time there was peace among the 
tribes of the Iroquois. The people turned with 
new hope to the daily labor, and all the busy 
round of life went on as in the undisturbed days 
of old. 

Among the workers was Aijah the Seneca 
captive. The women of Kanatagowa came often 
now to learn of the maiden, for among them there 
was no one so deft of hand as Aijah. Her dye- 
ing and porcupine embroidery were unsurpassed; 



150 The Hero of the Longhouse 

and never had such earthen jars been seen in all 
Onondaga as were shaped by the Seneca girl. 
Surely the invisible helpers had endowed her with 
magic ! 

Wide-eyed and filled with wonder, a group of 
women one day saw the shaping of a new dec- 
oration. At first there was the usual process. 
The quick, deft hands took the powder made of 
broken jars and mixed it with clay, kneading 
the mass until it was smooth and well tempered. 
Then, making a long coil of clay, Aijah shaped 
the bottom of her jar. Quickly and deftly the 
clay coils were joined and smoothed to an even 
surface. Round and round the coils went, widen- 
ing slowly with the swelling curve of the growing 
vessel. 

Toward the top, Aijah curved the jar upward 
and inward; then the rim was formed, curving 
outward and upward. Afterward the whole was 
smoothed to a good surface. The jar surpassed 
the work of the Onondagas in beauty of line. But 
what was the wonder of the onlookers, when, 
with a pointed stick, the youthful artist traced a 
graceful pattern about the rim save in one place 
that was left slightly roughened. Then in breath- 
less admiration, they saw Aijah take a piece of 
clay and carefully shape it to the form of a 
human face. With a few deft movements, she 
pressed the clay face into the roughened space on 
the rim and joined the edges. Then with a 



e^=- •^•.;i; 







..v^/\,H 



"Quickly and deftly the clay coils were joined and 
smoothed to an even surface" 



152 The Hero of the Longhouse 

slender bone, hooked at the end, this wonder 
worker smoothed and shaped the features. 

A new impulse began to stir the art of the 
village. All the craftsmen, all the workers in clay 
and wood and stone, found increased pleasure in 
their labor, as into it they slowly brought lines of 
meaning and beauty suggested by the work of 
the Seneca captive. But this new interest was 
soon checked through the suffering brought by 
the rainless summer. 

The warm moons passed and still the heavens 
were rainless. The women and children pa- 
tiently carried water from the creek to the thirsty 
maize fields. Through the long days of smnmer 
they went forth at morning and evening, filling 
their elm-bark vessels many times and sprinkling 
the drooping corn, but the parched earth and 
thirsty air quickly drank up the water. 

The earth panted and famished for water. The 
Fire Spirit descended on the thirsting mountains 
and valleys. It sucked dry the streams and 
springs. It scorched maize fields and forests. 
The night stars grew pale, and the earth became 
sick and faint. Where were the cooling breezes 
sent by Ga-oh, spirit of the winds? Why did 
Heno withhold his thunder? Surely the Fire 
Spirit was working desolation under the watchful 
sun, and Heno was powerless to help. 

Then the weary people began to watch for the 
Dew Eagle. At the end of the long parched 
days, they waited his gracious coming. As they 



The Blight of the Maize Fields 153 

watched at their doorways, resting from labor, 
they told the story of the Dew Eagle to their 
children : 

"Far above the clouds is the home of the Dew 
Eagle. With his wide wings closed he watches 
Yoanja, the earth, sees the green of her forests, 
and the shining lines of vast watercourses. 

"The Fire Sjjirit cannot elude the watchful 
care of the Dew Eagle; when the desolation of 
drought touches the broad bosom of Yoanja, the 
Earth JMother, his watchful eyes see it. 

"Then he plumes for flight; he pushes the 
skies far apart and begins his slow descent to the 
earth. He obscures the sun with vast spreading 
wings that dip to the east and the west and fan 
gentle breezes. 

"Out of the purple distance, out of the soft- 
brooding skies, the mighty Dew Eagle draws 
near the earth. From his lodge far beyond the 
west sky he comes. The peo^^le feel the cool air 
wafted from his slow wings as he nears them, 
bearing a lake of cool water between his broad 
shoulders. 

"Now mist veils the sky as through his vast, 
gentle wings he sifts the dews down from his 
lake and scatters them far over the thirsting 
earth. 

"The Fire Spirit flees. Through the long cool 
nights the parched earth bares her broad breast 
to the falling dews. Her lakes and springs are 
replenished, and the maize fields rise to new life." 



154 The Hero of the Longhouse 

In the long twilight, when the forests were 
hushed about them, an old man would sometimes 
recall what his Fathers had foretold of the Dew 
Eagle : 

"Listen, my Children. Long ago our Fathers 
foretold that at some day in the distant future, 
a huge bird with white plumage will come from 
the Sea at the Sun's Rising. Flj^ing with over- 
whelming power, he will battle with the Dew 
Eagle and kill him. Then the Real ^len will no 
longer live in joy and freedom in their forests 
and opens, but they will wander far away in 
desert places. With the death of the Dew Eagle 
all the tribes of the Real Men will lose their wide 
hunting grounds forever. Our Fathers have seen 
it in vision and said it. Naho.'" 

' From Myths arid Legends of the New York State Iroquois. 
(Adapted.) 



CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

THE LONG WINTER 

Scant and small was the harvest after that 
summer of drought. All the brightness and 
laughter disappeared from the maize picking. 
When the red "king ear" was found, the finder 
no longer looked for two ears in return from each 
of the harvesters. The unfilled ears with the 
wide spaces between the rows of kernels no 
longer were noted by matron or maid; nor was 
the promised reward for their finding expected. 
The ear that had all gone to cob no more pro- 
voked laughter; it was, alas, too frequent. 

Deftly, but with hearts filled with mis- 
giving, the women braided the best corn ears for 
the next year's seedtime. When this was done, 
there was little left for winter. 

Through the long rains of late autumn, the 
women went farther and farther from the long- 
house, gathering herbs and grubbing for roots. 
Well they knew that the poorest gifts of field or 
open or stream side would make a precious store 
in the winter to follow. From early dawn until 
nightfall, the men phed the work of hunting and 
fishing. Xo effort was spared to secure a stock 
of dried meat and fish, for already there were 
signs of a hard winter. 

The wind complained loud and long around 
the bark houses, and soon the earth was drenched 
by the cold rains of autumn. Over the swollen 
lakes and along the rivers, great flocks of birds 

155 



15G The Hero of the Longhouse 

hurried southward, — hurried away from the 
land where the long winter would tarry. 

Then Gaoh loosed the north wind, Okwari, the 
bear. In the stillness of the night they heard him 
coming through the forest ; heard the roar of the 
woodlands as they bent beneath his onrushing 
breath; felt the fierce, cold breathing of Okwari 
through the thin walls of the bark house. Well 
the people knew that all that howling of the north 
wind, all that raging of the fierce bear, Okwari, 
was a threat of the winter to follow. When at 
the call of Gaoh, the north wind returned to his 
sky home, the earth was frozen and the rivers 
were ice-sheeted. 

Then the sky was obscured by a gray mist that 
grew thicker and darkened the daylight. In the 
distance the growl of Dajoji, the panther, was 
heard from the woodland. Sullen and low at 
first, it grew nearer and fiercer; and rushing on 
from the west sky the tempests of winter de- 
scended. Day after day the snow fell, shutting 
the people in the longhouses, filling up the leaf- 
strewn forest, covering every trail and footpath, 
and blanketing the lakes and rivers. 

When that long storm w^as ended, white and 
snowbeaten the bark houses lay half concealed in 
the drifts piled high above the doorways. 

Dressed in warm leggings and mittens, the 
hunters in their snowshoes forced their way into 
the forest. Farther and farther they wandered 
through the deserted woodland, looking for the 



The Long Winter 157 

welcome tracks of Skanondo. All the search was 
vain ; not a footprint of life could they find in the 
desolate woodland. Empty-handed and sorely 
troubled they returned to the village. Then the 
people looked over their scant stores of dried 
flesh, looked into the half-empty bark barrels and 
began the long fight with famine. 

At first they were cheered by the warmth and 
shelter of the fireside, where Odjista burned as 
brightly as ever. There was no complaining in 
the villages. Even the little children met hunger 
and pain in cheerful silence. The strong race- 
courage within the i^eople arose in new strength 
to meet the long battle. The scant fare, care- 
fully prepared, was cheerfully eaten. Every day 
the winter work on stone and bone, on skin and 
fur, was faithfully plied. At evening, the men 
and women gathered with the children for the 
well-loved story telling. 

One day Hiawatha, ranging the trackless 
forest, came on a place where in the storm the 
deer had herded together. They were enclosed in 
a wall of snow that shut them in as surely as if 
it had been the stockade of a village. As the 
snow had drifted upon them, the frightened deer 
had trampled it down; but slowly the walls of 
their prison grew, and their thickness was beyond 
measure. When Skanondo tried to break through 
these snow banks he was smothered and over- 
whelmed. One by one, the starving prisoners 
perished; only the strongest were living when 



158 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Hiawiithca found them. But even their poor flesh 
rejoiced the hungry people. 

Shawenis was Clan Mother of the Turtles. 
Each day she saw to the cooking and divided the 
precious food among the firesides. Out of the 
store of herbs, she prepared warm drinks for the 
sick and aged. In all this work she was assisted 
by Waundana and by Aijah, the Seneca captive. 
Often Shawenis consulted with the wisest men 
and women concerning the food distribution. 
Hiawatha urged that the largest portion be given 
to the nursing mothers and the next largest to 
the young children and the aged. So the long- 
house of the Turtles saved more of its children 
and aged than any other house of Kanatagowa. 

As the warm blood coursed more feebly 
through their bodies, the people began to suffer 
from cold and sickness. Before midwinter had 
passed, many of the infants in arms had perished 
before the eyes of their mothers, who could no 
longer sustain them. Then many of the children 
sickened and faded, and with them the aged be- 
gan to perish. Sometimes a young mother died, 
leaving her babe behind her. When they buried 
the mother they placed the young child on her 
bosom that it might be spared the suffering of 
slow starvation. 

Never before had the sunshine that brought 
the promise of spring been so welcome. The 
New Year's feast, held at the end of winter, was 
kept with devoutness. The people dressed them- 



The Long Winter 159 

selves with care, trying to cover from sight the 
deep marks of hunger ; to conceal from each other 
the signs of grief and sickness. Should not the 
Real People prove themselves true children of 
the Great Ruler ? 

The offering for sin was made on the first day 
of the feast. On the second day the keepers of 
the faith went from house to house exhorting the 
people: "Prepare your houses; clear away rub- 
bish; drive out all evil; lay your body sorrows 
aside, and bring your spirits with you to the place 
of worship." 

Then the faith keepers lighted the first fires of 
the New Year in each house and appealed to the 
Great Ruler for a blessing on the household. 

On the third day the people crowded the 
council house to hear the interpretation of dreams 
and witness the name-giving. Then Hunadanlu 
recited a dream that had come to him. He said : 

"As the New Year Feast was approaching, 
Hunadanlu dreamed one night that he walked in 
the desolate woodlands. The birds lay dead on 
the snow. There were no tracks of Skanondo, 
the deer, or of Hotyone, the wolf. No sound 
broke the terrifying stillness. And Hunadanlu 
said in his dream, 'Behold life has departed from 
the earth. The forest is dead and its beauty has 
perished forever.' 

"Even as Hunadanlu spoke, 0-kah, the snow, 
melted before him, and a soft sound broke over 
the woodland; it was the sound of bursting leaf 



160 The Hero of the Longhouse 

buds. As he looked in wonder the trees put forth 
their leaves in haste and 0-we-ha, the flower, 
breathed forth its fragrance. Then Hunadanlu 
awakened and his heart was full of contentment." 

The dream interpreter said: "This vision is 
sent by the Great Ruler to comfort the hearts of 
his children. In this dream the Master of Life 
says, 'The Earth Mother is still filled with the 
power and beauty of life, of Yonhe ; be thankful, 
for the earth will put forth her life in this New 
Year and bless you with abundance.' " 

This vision of Hunadanlu gave new courage 
to the people. 

It was in the lengthening days of springtime 
when the women and children were gathering the 
swelling buds of the forest for food, that the 
spirit of Hunadanlu departed. They found him 
lying dead one morning, as if he were peacefully 
sleeping. 

In the first moment of their sorrow, men and 
women grieved like children. "We have lost 
thee, our Father," they said. "Thou who guarded 
us with tireless affection, even as a faithful 
mother watches in love over her children. 
Bravely thy spirit has cheered us in our long 
fight with famine ; could it not stay a little longer 
to welcome the summer and the end of this bitter 
battle?" 

Through nine long nights, Hiawatha watched 
by the grave of Hunadanlu, and fed the fire that 
lighted the spirit on its journey. 



The Long Winter 161 

In those long nights, with the hush of the forest 
around him, Hiawatha's thought turned to the 
tribes of the Iroquois. His spirit shared their 
bitter griefs and heavy burdens. He knew well 
thai in all their villages there was sore sickness 
and want; knew that all the Real Men were 
fighting grim famine together. 

Thus died Hunadanlu, friend of man, in the 
springtime of the great famine. Over his grave 
a young pine tree was planted, that all who 
passed should know that they looked on the 
burial place of one of the greatest of the Real 
Men. According to the custom of the people, 
his name was given to another that it should not 
perish ; but his spirit still lived in the child of his 
heart, Hiawatha. 

As the days grew longer, messengers, spent 
and famished, entered Kanatagowa to bring the 
sad story of famine from the other towns of the 
Onondagas, and to say that all their seed corn 
had been eaten. 

Then the chiefs and elders of the tribe met in 
council to consider how they might procure seed 
for the maize fields. They dared not venture to 
seek maize of the tribes at the south, who would 
surely treat them as foes. At the west, the Cay- 
ugas and Senecas were in the same need as them- 
selves. At the north, the Adirondacks planted 
no maize. Plainly the only hope was to send to 
the Mohawks, who might have procured maize 
from the eastern Algonkins, or from the Dela- 



162 The Hero of the Longhouse 

wares to the southward who had not lately been 
engaged in w^arf are. 

Two chieftains were appointed to go on this 
journey to the Mohawks. Four of the strongest 
young men went with them, and among these was 
Hiawatha. 

The ^Mohawks had procured maize of their 
neighbors southward and eastward, and gladly 
they divided this store with their brothers of On- 
ondaga. They even sent messengers to help carry 
the supply. 

The next morning the little party turned 
homeward with thankful hearts, each man bear- 
ing a sack of precious maize seed. 

One night when Tyokaras, the darkness, began 
to settle, Hiawatha sought the burial place of 
Hunadanlu. As he stood there, he could see in 
the dimness the many moss-covered grave 
mounds; scattered here and there among them 
were tiny mounds, the graves of little children: 
all these were the fruitage of the famine that 
follows warfare. In that hour Hiawatha under- 
stood clearly that the absent warriors had eaten 
the bread that belonged to the people. All these 
had perished because men counted the honors of 
warfare above all other honors. 



CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 

THE MARRIAGE OF HIAWATHA 

Three winters had passed since the great famine. 
All that time, faithful to the command of his 
clan spirit, Hiawatha had labored to strengthen 
the union of the tribes of the Real Men. Now 
that there was no war between them, he watch- 
fully strove, as he met with the tribesmen, to in- 
crease good will and friendship among them. 

Most of the young men were under the sway 
of Atotarho, who now led them against the 
Hurons. A few held with Hiawatha. Among 
them was Daweyongo, the Cayuga, who was by 
adoption the son of the blind Nogondih and the 
uncle of Wanutha. 

Daweyongo had been given to Aijah, the Sen- 
eca maiden, in marriage; and this bond had 
strongly united the households of Shawenis and 
Nogondih. 

One day Waundana, daughter of Shawenis 
and mother of Hiawatha, rested in the quiet of 
the wood's edge. Her mind was intent on a 
question that filled it. Three moons before, the 
blind Nogondih had asked for Hiawatha in mar- 
riage with Wanutha, her granddaughter. 

In her heart Waundana said: "Surely the time 
has come when Hiawatha should be wedded. 
Surely Waundana owes him the freedom of man- 
hood that he has earned as a hunter and warrior; 
owes him freedom from the service of his mother. 
The time has come when Waundana must be- 

163 



164 The Hero of the Longhouse 

stow Hiawatha on some worthy maiden, one who 
through the winters of his life will faithfully com- 
fort and serve him. 

"This marriage with Wanutha will be seemly, 
for the maiden is descended from a line of great 
chieftains. Is not the blind Nogondih revered 
for her goodness and wisdom? Is not the valorous 
Daweyongo her son by adoption? Among the 
young men of Onondaga there is no other except 
Sosondoweh who stands so close to Hiawatha in 
friendship. Truly in the longhouse of the Wolf 
Clan, which was his father's clan, Hiawatha al- 
ready finds strong support and alliance." 

A robin began to sing just above the head of 
Waundana. At last its song reached her un- 
heeding ears. As she listened she said: "Jis- 
ko-ko, thou art like the maiden Wanutha; ever 
busy, ever cheerful, she is a faithful worker in 
open and forest. In the cold moons when the 
people see her going lightly about the village on 
errands of cheer, they call her 'Snow Bird.' In 
the seasons of sugar making and berry picking, 
she is one of the merriest maidens. 

"In all the village there is no better ordered 
fireplace than that of the blind Nogondih. It is 
never choked with ashes, never littered with waste 
from the cooking. Clean and bare, the earth 
about it is always well swept; the well-braided 
mats are laid in order ; and the bear skins on the 
couches are fresh and shining. The walls are 
hung with skill; the earthen jars and bark dishes. 




'They call her 'Snow Bird' 



160 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the stone knives and horn spoons, stand in their 
places. The snowshoes, the fishing tackle and 
the weapons, are hung in order. All this is the 
work of Wanutha. 

"Full of home ways is the maiden. She is low- 
voiced and cheerful and light-footed. Faithfully 
she watches over Nogondih and cheers her blind- 
ness. Such a maiden will make a good mother." 

The next day, as the aged Nogondih sat by 
her fireside in the longhouse of the Wolf Clan, 
she heard the soft tread of moccasined footsteps, 
and a well-known voice speaking in greeting. 

At once she responded: "Waundana, thou art 
welcome. The fireside of Nogondih is brightened 
by your presence." 

Then the aged woman brought to her guest a 
small bowl of hulled corn sprinkled with maple 
sugar. 

Waundana thanked her, and, lifting the pol- 
ished spoon of horn to her lips, she praised the 
delicate dish before her. 

After this, the two women began to speak of 
the great matter between them. Again Nogon- 
dih praised Hiawatha. 

"The eyes of Nogondih are sightless, but she 
has heard from the lips of many with what 
honor Hiawatha wears the heron feather ; she has 
heard of his skill as a hunter; she has heard his 
voice in the council, and his words are full of 
wisdom." 

Nogondih paused and turned her sightless eyes 



The Marriage of Hiawatha 167 

toward the passage, toward the distant corners 
of the sleeping-benches as if to assure herself 
that her words could be heard by no other. Then, 
turning to Waundana, she spoke in low tones of 
apprehension : 

"Xogondih will not hide from Waundana that 
in one matter she looks on Hiawatha with mis- 
giving. Since the day of his dream-fast, Hia- 
watha has spoken to many against the wars of 
our people. Truly his words are wise and spoken 
with courage; but do they not reach the ears of 
the powerful war chieftain? Does not Atotarho 
hear the slightest word, though it be spoken at a 
distance? Do not Atotarho's opponents fall in 
strange and lonely places, struck down by hidden 
foes who leave no footmark behind them? Strong 
is Hiawatha, and strong is the clan of the Turtle 
in vengeance; but Atotarho kills at a distance, 
and who can take vengeance on a foe that he 
knows not? Nogondih is aged and sightless. 
Her feet are already turned toward the Land of 
the Sunset, but before her departure she would 
shield the child of her heart from future sorrow 
and mourning." 

Then answered Waundana: "Nogondih has 
spoken truly. Yet is the heart of Waundana 
content when she hears the voice of her son speak- 
ing courageous words against this deadly war- 
fare between the tribes of the Real 3Ien. If, be- 
cause of this, Hiawatha falls before the ven- 
geance of Atotarho, shall he not die covered with 
honor?" 



108 The Hero of the Longhouse 

A quiver passed over the aged face of No- 
gondih as she listened, but with a steady voice she 
answered: "Waundana shames the fears of No- 
gondih. Wanutha, too, is truthful and coura- 
geous ; she is worthy to be the wife of the fearless 
Hiawatha." 

A few days later Waundana met Hiawatha at 
the wood's edge, as he returned from the hunting. 
In a few words she told him of the choice of No- 
gondih. A long silence followed. Both of them 
knew that soon their long work together would be 
ended. No more could Hiawatha bring the 
trophies of his hunting to the longhouse of the 
Turtle. Another fireside would receive them. 
Other hands than his mother's would shape his 
moccasins and string his snowshoes ; other hands 
would receive the game at the wood's edge. 

Nevertheless, the heart of Hiawatha was in 
glad tumult as he listened; but when he spoke, 
his voice was quiet and his manner grave. "Iste- 
aha, my Mother, I obey thee." So saying he 
turned back to the silence of the forest. 

That evening the aged Nogondih set down the 
steaming bowl of hulled corn brought to her by 
Wanutha. Lifting her hands to her grandchild's 
face, the aged woman lightly followed its lines 
with her fingers, as if she would gather a picture 
to remember. Tlien, in a voice that trembled a 
little, Nogondih told the maiden that she had 
been promised to Hiawatha in marriage. "With 
Hiawatha will Nogondih divide the service of thy 



The Marriage of Hiawatha 169 

busy hands, the service of thy wilhng feet. With 
Hiawatha will she share thy faithful affection." 

The next day the betrothal visit was made. 
From the doorway of the longhouse of the Wolf 
Clan, came Wanutha dressed in fresh garments 
and bearing in her hands the maize loaves. With 
her walked a group of maidens. In ordered pro- 
cession they entered the house of the Turtle and 
paused at the fireside of Waundana. From the 
hands of Wanutha, the mother of Hiawatha re- 
ceived the loaves of bread, the maiden's silent 
promise of obedience and service to her husband. 
Then Waundana bestowed on the maiden a bowl 
of venison. It was Hiawatha's pledge of faith- 
ful care and service. 

Two moons later, Wanutha and Hiawatha 
stood together in the longhouse of the Wolf Clan. 

About them were gathered their nearest 
friends and kinsmen. There was the Turtle 
chieftain, Hosahaho, with his mother, Shawenis; 
there were Waundana and Hiawatha's sister, 
Gawenneta; there too, were Daweyongo and 
Aijah with the blind Nogondih. 

One and then another addressed the betrothed 
ones, speaking words of exhortation. The wis- 
dom of long patience and kindness and forgive- 
ness, the watching care and service that make 
the home a friendly refuge, the cheerfulness and 
contentment that please the Great Ruler, — all 
these things were spoken of. When the last 
kindly word of love and wisdom was uttered, the 



170 The Hero of the Longhouse 

two braids of Wanutha's hair were united into 
one braid, in sign of the marriage. 

Thereafter, Wanutha went daily to the fireside 
of Waundana. Very often she brought a rich 
gift of venison, for she felt that the mother of 
Hiawatha would most gladly eat the meat that 
her son had provided. When the maize fields 
were harvested, Wanutha worked there with Wa- 
undana ; when the wood for the winter was pro- 
vided, she gathered for Waundana. So she made 
return beyond requirement in the wealth of field 
and forest; and her service was requited in the 
faithful affection of Waundana. 

During the glowing days of autumn, Hia- 
watha brought to the fireside of Nogondih a rich 
store of game; enough to provide for the cold 
moons when the hunters were absent; enough to 
make the aged Nogondih rich in skins and furs 
for the winter. 

Daily the careful thought of Wanutha pro- 
vided her husband with food. Shyly she brought 
her first gift of embroidered moccasins, and later 
bestowed the handsome winter garments and leg- 
gings of deerskin. Hiawatha came to Wanutha 
when the frames of his winter snowshoes were 
made, to ask her to string them. To her he 
brought the broken strap that held his quiver of 
arrows. Through the homely demands of labor, 
their hearts turned to each other in love and af- 
fection. 

In late November, Atotarho, restless and 



The Marriage of Hiawatha 171 

gloomy, formed a war party to invade the Cher- 
okee country. Hiawatha knew well that the 
Onondagas scarcely looked on the descent into 
the Cherokee country as warfare ; to them it was 
plajang at warfare. He sat in the circle of young 
warriors and saw one after another of the peace 
party spring forward and strike the war post un- 
til at last he was left alone, for every other young 
man enlisted. 

Handsome in paint and war dress, the young 
men and warriors recited their deeds of valor, and 
with ringing battle cries took the warpath to the 
southward. The women followed them into the 
forest, carrying food for the journey and the 
sober garments of service, and bringing back to 
the village the rich headdresses and costly war 
garments. 

Outwardly Hiawatha remained calm and im- 
passive; nevertheless he was inwardly dismayed 
to see the peace party so easily go to pieces. He 
knew well that the appetite for war would be 
bred in that foray ; knew that the young warriors 
who returned with their belts fringed with Cher- 
okee scalplocks would be loath to keep their feet 
from the Seneca war trail. 

The next morning at dawn Hiawatha stood at 
his doorway ready for hunting, watching the ap- 
proach of Wanutha. In his heart he was saying, 
"How will she look on a young husband who 
avoids the glory of the warpath and tamely stays 
at home with the boys and the old men?" His 



172 The Hero of the Longhouse 

doubts were soon answered. Never before had 
her footsteps been so quick ; never before had he 
seen her eyes so full of gladness. With the ac- 
customed words of greeting, she gave him the 
food that was carefully prepared for his journey. 
But a swift and silent message was borne to the 
heart of Hiawatha: "Wanutha, thy wife, asks 
thee not to win glory and spoils in warfare. Her 
heart bids thee stay in the service of the people." 

Light-footed, Hiawatha turned to the solitary 
hunting. In the great purpose of his life, in the 
sacred pledge of his dream-fast he was assured of 
the approval of Wanutha ! As he moved swiftly 
through the awakening woodland, his heart 
poured forth a silent song of thanksgiving. 
Bright dreams of the future filled his thought; 
easy to him seemed the great task to which he was 
promised. His heart sang in praise to Hawen- 
niyu, the Master of Life, who had so richly 
crowned him with blessings. 

That night darkness had descended through 
the woodland when Hiawatha reached the village, 
carrying a deer on his shoulders. He saw a dark 
figure running toward him from the wood's edge. 
Then in the fading light, he saw Wanutha and 
heard her say, "Neaweh, I am thankful! Long 
has Wanutha watched for thy coming." 

From that day Hiawatha felt that the careful 
love and thought of Wanutha followed him in 
all his undertakings. Her quick intuition di- 
vined the dangers that beset him, and her ready 




"They walked beneath the towering trees that encircled 
the camp" 



174 The Hero of the Longhouse 

courage and forethought tirelessly guarded his 
footsteps. 

The hunting moon came. There was unwonted 
stir in the village, for the hunters were departing 
for the winter camp. Among the women who 
were going was Wanutha. In the burden frame 
that she carried, wrapped in a strong rug of bear- 
skin, were bark bowls and horn spoons, knives 
of wood and stone, and a jar for cooking; also 
braided mats and a skein of stout thread with a 
good bone awl and needle. 

For three days the hunting party traveled 
southward. For the first time Wanutha saw the 
vast southern forests of her people ; saw their far- 
stretching lakes, and looked on places famous in 
the legends of the Onondagas. The blood in her 
strong young body flowed quick and warm; the 
spirit within her rejoiced. As the days passed, 
she became the natural leader of the women. Her 
busy hands were ever ready to help another with 
a burden. Her mind was quick to seize on the 
best device, the readiest way of meeting the de- 
mands of the journey; and her warm, courageous 
heart overflowed with the spirit of comrade- 
ship. 

On the afternoon of the third sun, they reached 
their southern camping ground. At once all set 
to work. The men cleared the drifting snow and 
leaves away from the bark houses, and made them 
secure and ready. The women gathered the 
brushwood and made fires; they filled the stone 



The Marriage of Hiazcatha 175 

jars with water, and dressed and cooked the 
venison for supper. 

Game was abundant, and the days at the camp 
were filled with busy labor. The evenings were 
spent with story-telling beside the crackling fire. 

The best portions of venison were fastened on 
pointed sticks to dry before the fire. This would 
make the store of dried meat to take to Kana- 
tagowa. Skins and furs were carefully dried and 
prepared to be carried back to the village. In all 
that abundance nothing was wasted. 

In a small lodge was the fire of Wanutha. Its 
cheerful blaze welcomed Hiawatha at night when 
the hunters returned from the forest. When the 
story-telling had ended, and quiet settled on the 
lodges, Hiawatha and Wanutha lingered at the 
warm blaze to speak of the day's work or the 
plans for tomorrow. Or, drawn by the beauty of 
the grandmother moon, they walked beneath the 
towering trees that encircled the camp. With 
quick insight Wanutha divined the aims of Hia- 
watha; caught his spirit of wise forethought and 
care for the people; felt with deep joy the glow 
of his faith in the future, the devoutness of his 
purpose. Thereafter the cause of Hiawatha was 
tirelessly defended by the courage of Wanutha, 
so that he often playfully called her, "Ya-e- 
wa-no, She-Watches-Over-Us." 



CHAPTER NINETEEN 

THE RAISING-UP OF HIAWATHA 

Seven winters had passed since the great famine. 
The Onondagas had been blessed with abun- 
dance. JNIany young children were growing up 
among them, and again their longhouses echoed 
with happy voices. 

For a brief space the Men of Men had ceased 
to war on each other, but they were more than 
ever in awe of Atotarho. He was savagely 
morose and sullen; he was strangely inaccessible 
and solitary, even when people were all about 
him. The warriors dreaded to approach him, and 
the women feared to cross his pathway. 

There were some who whispered that the pow- 
erful war chieftain was possessed by an evil 
spirit. They recalled a time before the death of 
Ondiyaka when a great change had come upon 
Atotarho. They told the story thus : 

"It was in the summer before the great 
drought. Atotarho, armed for hunting, had gone 
alone to the forest. Some of the people had seen 
him when he departed at daybreak, and many 
saw him return at sunset. 

"It was in the young moon. Its slender rim was 
shining pale above the western woodland as Ato- 
tarho entered the village. In his hand the war 
chieftain carried a large bird of wondrous white- 
ness. Its shapely head dragged the earth; its 
wide wings hung limp; the shaft of an arrow 
stood in the broad, snowy breast that was stained 

176 



The Raising-up of Hiawatha 177 

by a dark line where the bright red blood had 
flowed. 

"The hunters and old men gathered about Ato- 
tarho, gazing in silent wonder on the dead bird 
that he carried. Nothing like it had ever been 
seen among them. Then an old man said : 

" 'lyeaha, my Son, I have heard my father say 
that wondrous white birds live on the edge of the 
Great Sea at the Sun's Rising. They are of 
matchless strength and fly far out on the water; 
their only resting place is on the waves beneath 
them. Can it be that one of these birds has flown 
westward from the Great Water? Has it 
changed its course at the command of Kagagwa, 
the sun, and flown inland, bearing a message to 
the red men in the western forests? Surely this 
is an omen of wonder.' 

"The old men looked on the slayer of the 
strange bird with misgivings. 

"The apprehensions of the old men were 
strengthened as they watched Atotarho. Day 
by day they saw his face darken as if gloomy 
thoughts possessed him. He ceased to divide his 
possessions with the poor as was the custom. He 
became cunning and crafty. Then the chieftains 
who opposed him, the leaders of the peace party, 
began to meet with sudden death in solitary 
places. Had the white bird been a messenger of 
evil that had poisoned its slayer, turning him 
slowly into a monster? This was only a question 
at first, but in time it became a tradition." 



178 The Hero of the Longhouse 

During these winters, the great war chieftain 
was growing in mihtary power. His speech be- 
came so full of fierce and subtle persuasion that 
the warriors of the peace party joined his expe- 
ditions, against their better judgment. He fired 
the warlike with such valor that they became ter- 
rible in battle, fighting with the strength and 
fierceness of Dajoji, the panther. He trained 
the young men so well that they entered their 
first conflict like hardy warriors. 

Among the free and courageous Onondagas, 
Atotarho had become a tyrant. His scouts, his 
spies, and secret informers kept him acquainted 
with the movements of friend and enemy 
alike ; especially he knew every movement of the 
peace party whose leader was Hosahaho, the 
chieftain of the Turtles. 

In the fawn moon, when the stalks were be- 
ginning to appear among the green blades of 
maize, three Onondaga hunters on Lake Ontario 
boldly turned their canoes westward and entered 
the Seneca country. 

Soon they were on the track of a young deer. 
As they pursued it, they came on the small hunt- 
ing camp of a Seneca woman and her two sons. 

The Senecas rebuked the Onondagas for their 
trespass. Without reply, the Onondagas drew 
their bows. The mother fell with one of her sons ; 
the second escaped to his people. 

When the three hunters returned to Kana- 
tagowa, their elders listened to the story with 



The Raising-up of Hiawatha 179 

great apprehension. The wisest among them 
asked themselves this question: "Have these 
young men been sent to insult the Seneca people 
and drive them again to the warpath? Surely, 
the youths of Onondaga have never before 
acted so madly. Can it be that Atotarho has 
made a pretext for beginning the war that he 
longs for?" 

The fears of the peace-loving among the 
people were justified. On the second day 
after the return of the young men, as the sun 
neared the western forest, five Seneca warriors 
entered the village and asked for a council. 

When the people were assembled and the 
council fire was lighted, the Seneca leader sprang 
from the ground and paced about the council fire. 
He paused, slowly recounted the wrong that had 
been done his people, and asked that the offend- 
ing Onondagas be delivered to their vengeance. 

When the speaker had finished and the Senecas 
had retired from the council, Hosahaho spoke. 
He said: "My Brothers, the Senecas have spoken 
truly. The young men of the Onondagas have 
transgressed the ancient laws of the Real Men. 
They have trespassed on the hunting grounds of 
the Senecas, and in anger they have committed 
murder. 

"Listen, my Brothers. The Onondagas should 
do justice. According to their ancient law, they 
should pay the full price for the man whom the 
Onondagas have slain. As has been their ancient 



180 The Hero of the Longhouse 

custom, they should render twice as much for the 
hfe of the woman." 

Immediately Atotarho arose and spoke with 
great passion. He said: 

"Brothers, for many generations the Real Men 
have held the early part of the day sacred. When 
Kagagwa looks from the east sky the Real Men 
meet to talk of peace ; at night they talk of war- 
fare. Listen, my Brothers, the Senecas have 
come to the council fire at Kanatagowa when Ka- 
gagwa is low in the west sky. They have come 
when only war can be talked. They are here as 
spies. They have refused to eat the food offered 
them by the Onondagas. When the fire keepers 
proffer the peace pipe, they reject it. By these 
signs they declare themselves enemies who come 
to fill the ears of our warriors with idle talk in 
order to gain time to bring their war party to- 
gether. But the Onondagas will not sit idly in 
their longhouses and wait for the Senecas to come 
and burn their villages. Our warriors will pre- 
pare at once to meet the Senecas before they 
spring from the forest like hungry wolves to 
devour our defenseless people. The ancient war- 
path is open. Let the Onondagas enter it. Naho. 
I have spoken." 

Hosahaho answered: "Kagagwa would frown 
from the sky on a war begun so unjustly. The 
spirits of their great warriors departed would 
surely rebuke the Onondagas should they fall in 
battle so unworthy. The Onondagas must do 
justice to the Seneca people." 



The Raising -up of Hiawatha 181 

The aj^peal of Hosahaho found a strong re- 
sponse in the hearts of the wisest of his hearers, 
but it brought a dangerous hght into the eyes of 
Atotarho. The ears of the young men were 
stopped to the voice of wisdom. The demand for 
immediate war became urgent. 

The Senecas were given an evasive answer and 
departed without smoking the peace pipe. 

"WTien they had left the village, Atotarho sud- 
denly appeared at his war post in full war equip- 
ment and eloquently invited the warriors to join 
him. At daybreak a large war party left Onon- 
daga. 

While some of the people still lingered in the 
place of council, they heard a sharp cry of lam- 
entation. It came from a near point in the 
forest, "Koo-weh! Koo-weh! Koo-weh!" At 
short intervals that death call sounded. In a 
moment, a hunter came running from the forest. 
He had found the body of Hosahaho within the 
woodland where it had but just fallen. The great 
chieftain had been struck by a hidden assassin. 

Bitter was the mourning, for the dead chief 
had been a buhvark to the people. Well the 
mourners knew that there was no redress for his 
murder. Who could bring proof to show 
that one of the spies of Atotarho had been 
the assassin? Who could show that Hosahaho 
had died that the pathway of Atotarho might be 
cleared of the strongest chieftain who with- 
stood him? 



182 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Never had there been grief so heavy in the 
longhouse of the Turtles, where Shawenis and 
Waundana, the mother and the sister of Hosa- 
haho, covered their heads before the face of their 
dead. 

Three suns later the horns of Hosahaho still 
rested on his grave — a sign to the people that 
his successor had not been raised up. 

Then the chief women of the Turtle Clan 
throughout Onondaga met at Kanatagowa to 
choose a successor to Hosahaho. The right to 
name the coming chieftain belonged to Shawenis, 
the mother of the dead chieftain. Erect and 
clear-browed, in the dignity of one who nobly 
bears the weight of heavy sorrow, Shawenis stood 
among the other Royaners of the Turtles. 

She spoke words of honor for the departed, 
who had labored that brighter days might follow. 
Then she named the one most worthy to succeed 
him. That one was Hiawatha. 

The chief women heard the name of Hiawatha 
without surprise. They were of one mind; 
among all the Turtles, there was none so worthy 
to succeed Hosahaho. They said: "Hiawatha is 
young in years but younger chieftains than he 
have been raised up among the Onondagas. 
Youthful as he is there is no one who surpasses 
him in wisdom, eloquence and justice. Have we 
not heard his moving words at the council fire 
and witnessed, winter by winter, his faithful 
service of the people?" 



The Raising -up of Hiawatha 183 

So it was decreed by the Royaners of the 
Turtles that Hiawatha should succeed to the 
chieftainship of their clan among all the Ononda- 
gas. Immediately the decision was made known to 
the chief men. Then runners were dispatched 
to the other villages of the Onondagas to call the 
clan of the Turtle to a mourning council that 
should raise up a successor to Hosahaho. 
Runners were also sent to the clansmen of the 
Turtles among the Oneidas and Mohawks that 
they might send witnesses to the raising-up of 
the new chieftain. Each runner carried a notched 
stick bearing the sign of the message, "The name 
of Hosahaho bids that after two suns you as- 
semble at Kanatagowa." 

On the third day thereafter, at the rising of 
the sun, the chief men of the Turtle Clan marched 
to the wood's edge to meet the visiting people, 
speaking to them words of welcome. Then they 
led the way to the council. There, at the place 
of council, the visiting people chanted the virtues 
of Hosahaho: 

"Our Word has passed away — he who used 
to work for all that they might see the brighter 
days to come." 

"Ye are mourning in deep darkness; we will 
make the sky clear for you; we will make the 
sun shine on you, so you will not see a cloud. 
We will light the council fire anew, and cause it 
to burn again so that you may go on with your 
duties and labors. ... 



184 The Hero of the Longhouse 

"If any one shall fall — it may be a chieftain 
— then the horns shall be left on the grave, and 
as soon as possible another shall be put in his 
place. . . . Now show us the warrior that is 
to be the new chieftain." ^ 

Hiawatha was led forward. They clothed him 
in a new garment. They placed on his head the 
horns of his office. In obedience to a dream sent 
to Shawenis, they confirmed his name, Hiawatha. 
The duties to which he was called were clearly 
recited, and the laws of the Fathers repeated. 

Then Hiawatha, standing in the presence of 
his clansmen, promised obedience and service; 
promised to devote the strength of his office to 
the welfare of the people. Very simply he said : 

"The spirits of the great ones of the departed 
Fathers are looking upon us. Here I promise 
to do more than merely obey the laws of the 
Fathers. I will so serve the people that we shall 
not only be strengthened, but that the names of 
our Fathers will be honored." 

Keenly his clansmen listened to the words that 
followed. 

"Our Fathers have taught us that the clan 
bond is not to be broken; that everywhere clans- 
men shall suffer and defend each other. But to- 
day men of the Turtle Clan are away from Onon- 
daga seeking to slay their brother clansmen of 
the Turtle among the Cayugas and Senecas. 
Hiawatha promises to strive against such break- 

* From The Iroquois Book of Rites. 



The Raising -up of HiatcatJia 185 

ing of the clan bond. He will labor for the 
sacred kee^^ing of the clan bond between all the 
tribes of the Real Men. 

"My Brothers, the six clans of the Onondagas 
make the tribe. If clans take vengeance on each 
other, the whole tribe is weakened. Your chief- 
tain promises to make his clan a bulwark to the 
tribe. He would have his clansmen consider the 
whole nation in their action, for in the past this 
has been done by the greatest of the Real Men. 
Naho." 

No man or w^oman who attended that meeting 
ever forgot it. There w^as something in the pres- 
ence of Hiawatha when the sacred horns were 
upon him that reminded the people of the an- 
cient time when men held direct communion with 
the Good Mind. 

Since the death of Hosahaho, the young war- 
riors had watched Hiawatha with keen interest. 
They knew his powder as a warrior; they knew 
his shrewdness and courage ; and they questioned 
if he would not, as a chieftain, teach Atotarho his 
clan powder. This same question had been in the 
minds of most of the Turtles when they came to 
the council. But as they heard the words of their 
new chieftain, their question was answered. 
There was something in his bearing that banished 
every thought of clan vengeance and made the 
Turtles feel that in him they had found a leader 
of vision. 



CHAPTER TWENTY 

THE DREAM OF SHAWENIS 

It was three suns after the raising-up of Hia- 
watha. Shawenis stood alone on a sunny hill 
slope. She had gone out with her granddaughter, 
Gawenneta, to gather the fruits of the forest. 
In one hand, Shawenis held a bunch of healing 
herbs. Her quiet eyes were seeking the hollows 
where brooklets run when the rain falls. She 
moved about like a wise nature priestess who 
knows the secrets of growing things. Now she 
marked how one plant had wandered from last 
year's place of growing; how another flourished 
in a sunny exposure ; how a third had crept close 
to the brookside. 

When Shawenis had gathered the leaves and 
bark of an ash tree, she seated herself on a sun- 
warmed rock, drew her moccasined feet together, 
and folded her warm skirt of deerskin closely 
about her. Her wise face looked as if it had 
grown out of the earth around her ; as if through 
her the spirit of the earth mother, Ataensic, had 
taken visible form and was brooding over her 
children. 

Suddenly a familiar call sounded. Soon there- 
after Gawenneta, sister of Hiawatha and 
daughter of Waundana, came running from a 
neighboring ridge. Her braided hair was wind- 
blown and her face glowed with rich color. As 
she approached she held out a half -filled basket 
of berries, saying : 

186 



The Dream of Shawenis 187 

"My Grandmother, Gawenneta has not filled 
her basket. A thrush sang in the woodland close 
beside her. Wherever Gawenneta went the sing- 
ing bird followed, repeating the same words over 
and over, and flying round and returning as if 
he asked her to follow. Then Gawenneta forgot 
the berry picking and followed the singer — fol- 
lowed him toward the sun's rising!" 

The wise woman listened intently to the words 
of Gawenneta. For a time she sat in silence, as 
she pondered once more a strange dream that had 
come to her three moons before. The singing 
bird that beckoned Gawenneta eastward, seemed 
to repeat the omen of that dream. Then Sha- 
wenis answered: 

"My Granddaughter, it may be that the brown 
thrush was one of the Elf Folk who came to sing 
to Gawenneta of some blessing coming from the 
eastward. Let the heart of my Granddaughter 
be thankful." 

Shawenis tied her herbs with a string of deer- 
skin, picked up her strong staff, and the two 
turned their faces homeward. As they walked 
on together, Shawenis repeated to Gawenneta 
the old tale of Qua-ra-ra: 

"Sent by the Great Ruler, Quarara appeared 
to the Iroquois as an aged man. Everywhere the 
people turned away from the stranger, because 
they saw that a loathsome disease was upon him. 
Rejected, he passed from village to village. In 
the last town a woman stood in the doorway of 



188 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the poorest house ; when she saw signs of sickness 
on the stranger she bade him enter and find rest. 
Because she had shown pity, Quarara taught her 
the use of medicine plants and bestowed on her 
and her children the great gift of healing. 

"Then Quarara brought upon himself the fatal 
disease for which there is no healing, and re- 
turned to his home with the Great Ruler." ^ 

Shawenis often told this story because it 
taught that the Great Ruler bestows on the com- 
passionate, above all others, the wisdom of heal- 
ing. But today the tale was linked in her mind 
with the cares of the present. As Gawenneta 
walked beside her in silence, Shawenis sadly pon- 
dered the illness of her daughter, Waundana, 
mother of Hiawatha and Gawenneta. 

She asked herself, "Can it be that Waundana 
has the fatal disease that has no curing? In vain 
has Shawenis tried every medicine known to our 
people. In vain have the medicine men of the 
tribe sought to drive away the sickness. Moon 
by moon Waundana is slowly fading. Seven 
winters ago, when Ondiyaka died, she was full 
of youthful strength and beauty. After the 
mourning for her husband she went about like 
one who looks into a distant country. Can it be 
that her ' spirit is following his on its long 
journey? Can it be that, like Quarara, she is of 
her own will turning to the land of the departed?" 

When Shawenis and Gawenneta entered the 

^ From The Legends of the Iroquois, by Canfield. 



The Dream of Shawenis 181) 

village, they found Waundana sitting by the 
doorway of the longhouse dyeing porcupine quills 
for the autumn work on deerskins. 

As her hands were busied with the work of 
staining the quills that lay in ordered heaps about 
her, the mind of Waundana was steadily holding 
the picture of Hiawatha as he stood among the 
elders at the Mourning Council. There she had 
recalled the dream of Hunadanlu, the dream 
that gave her son the name White Eagle. For 
him she no longer feared the wrath of Atotarho ; 
rather she felt assurance of the dream's promise. 

But the sight of Gawenneta, bringing her gift 
of berries, recalled heavy thoughts to the mother. 
There were those among the Turtles who were 
urging Waundana to choose a husband for the 
maiden. But to whom should she wed her? 
Surely not to one of the young men who belonged 
to Atotarho's war party, for he would be cruel 
and terrifying like his leader. Nor could she 
wed her to one of the peace party, for his path 
would be beset with hidden perils. How could 
she save the maiden from the dangers and sor- 
rows that threatened? She felt a strong wish to 
flee far away with her child. 

Even as the mother and daughter stood at the 
doorway, that wish was approaching fulfillment. 
They heard an exclamation from the children on 
the roof of the longhouse. Then Gawenneta 
said: 'Tsteaha, my Mother, hither come a com- 
pany of Mohawks. They are pausing at the 



190 The Hero of the Longhouse 

wood's edge; and see, there are women among 
them!" 

Immediately Da-yo-ho-go, a youthful Mohawk 
chieftain, entered the village. The mother and 
daughter saw him pause at the doorway of a 
chieftain. The chieftain himself went out to the 
wood's edge to welcome the party and invite 
them to enter. Soon after, runners were dis- 
patched to summon a council. 

Waundana sat among the Turtles in the 
council, and by her side was Gawenneta. The 
mother looked on Dayohogo, the young Mohawk 
chieftain of the Wolf Clan, and listened to his 
words in council. Among the noble women of 
the Mohawks was his mother, A-wey-ni-yont. In 
her heart Waundana said: "Surely the noble 
Aweyniyont is the mother of a courageous son. 
He is goodly in strength and manhood, and his 
words in council are well spoken." Then a 
sudden thought came, "Dayohogo is not wedded. 
Here may be a pathway of safety for Gawenneta. 
Here may be the fulfillment of the dream of 
Shawenis." 

That day Waundana spoke with the men and 
women of her household. She said, "Ye recall 
how, in a dream, Shawenis saw Gawenneta 
dressed in fair garments as one who is ready for 
a journey. As she looked, Shawenis saw Gawen- 
neta enter the trail to the eastward and move 
swiftly toward the sun's rising. In her dream 
Shawenis said, 'How is it that my granddaughter 



The Dream of Shawenis 191 

walks with unerring footsteps over a trail that 
she knows not?' Then she saw that the maiden 
kept her eyes on a bright star that was moving 
before her. In the hght of O-jish-an-da, the star, 
she was journeying safely. 

"Well ye know that the heart of Waundana is 
full of trouble concerning the maiden. ^lay it 
not be that this dream has been sent to open the 
mind of Waundana to a ^Mohawk alliance for 
the maiden?" 

Hiawatha listened in amazement to the words 
of Waundana. Would his mother banish his 
sister from her people; make her an exile who 
for a lifetime must dwell with strangers, and 
speak their language? But something in the face 
of Shawenis gave him vision. For the first time 
he saw the signs of death on the beloved face of 
his mother. At once he understood why she 
sought a place of safetj^ for her daughter. In 
that moment he knew that the power that had 
struck Ondiyaka had broken the spirit of Waun- 
dana, driving her now to choose exile for her 
child as the only path of safety. 

Because of her dream, and because of the omen 
of the singing bird, Shawenis approved of the 
purpose of Waundana. 

Five suns thereafter Dayohogo and Gawen- 
neta were betrothed. In embroidered garments 
of deerskin, the maiden brought her gift of bread 
to Aweyniyont. Then with well-chosen words of 
faithful promise, the Mohawk woman offered the 



192 The Hero of the Long house 

gift of venison for Dayohogo. In another five 
suns they were wedded. 

The next morning Gawenneta stood at the 
door of the longhouse, dressed for her journey. 
She was hstening to the admonitions of Shawenis. 

As she bade adieu to her daughter, Waundana 
hung about her neck as a parting gift a beautiful 
pearl shell that whispered in the voice of the 
Great Sea. So Gawenneta departed from her 
people forever. 

The next sun they found Waundana lying as 
in j)eaceful slumber, but she did not awaken to 
the voice of Hiawatha. 

Two suns later Hiawatha lighted the fire on 
the grave of his mother. Then Shawenis 
sprinkled the maize seed, saying: 

"My Daughter, this is the corn which so often 
you planted. Many times you husked it in har- 
vest. With the coming of springtime you pre- 
pared the earth again for the seed so that the corn 
should spring upward in beauty. As the corn 
dies only to live anew, so you shall live again in 
fresh beauty. The birds eat the maize from the 
ground where we place it and fly again to the 
skies. So we tarry on the earth to eat of its 
fruits, then we fly upward when the Great Wis- 
dom knows it is time." 



CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 

TONEDAWA, THE CHILD OF HIAWATHA 

In the autumn of the winter that followed, in the 
soft shining days when once more summer re- 
turns to the earth, a child was born to Wanutha 
and Hiawatha. Her mother called her To-ne- 
da-wa. 

In the longhouse of the Wolf Clan the ga- 
oseha of Tonedawa, the little O-wi-raa, stood 
close to the firelight. There she crooned her 
wordless songs of wonder, singing with Oah, 
the wind, when he talked at the side of the bark 
house. Beside the fire the blind great-grand- 
mother was always sitting. She crooned and sang 
to Tonedawa. And the little one turned to the 
ancient music in happy contentment. For the 
songs of Nogondih were full of the meaning that 
is in the call of the doe when she speaks to her 
young ones; full of the age-long wisdom that 
only the young understand rightly. 

The little Tonedawa would answer the croon- 
ing song with happy cries and gurgles. She 
would stretch her tiny hands toward the singing 
voice and turn her bright eyes to the aged face 
in the firelight, while the two held long wordless 
talks together. Like a wise nature teacher the 
blind Nogondih felt the daily, dim explorings of 
the child ; and what the eyes of the little one saw 
and the ears heard, the blind grandmother filled 
with wonderful meaning. 

When in winter the north wind swept the 

193 



194 The Hero of the Longhouse 

empty forests and smote the bark house roughly, 
the startled Tonedawa listened in wide-eyed 
wonder. Then she turned to the aged face with 
wordless questions. And the wise Nogondih 
answered the unspoken question with her croon- 
ing and singing: 

Okwari has come out of the north sky, 
He has frozen the lakes and rivers, 
Now he growls at the door of the longhouse, 
He is trying to enter the longhouse. 

But my baby is safe from the great bear, 
She is wrapped in the skin of Jonito, 
She is guarded by kindly Odjista, — 
Never can Okwari get her. 

When the west wind came bringing the drift- 
ing snowstorms, driving the hurrying flakes into 
the rough cover of the bark house, beating the 
roof with flying snow-sleet, whistling, growling, 
crying about the doorways and corners, while the 
wide-eyed Owiraa listened, the grandmother sang 
of the west wind: 

That is Dajoji, the panther, 
Hear him snarling througli the forest, 
Hear him sniffing at the smokehole, — 
But he cannot, cannot enter, 
Cannot toucli thee, my Owiraa. 

When the early springtime came, the long 
rains fell and flooded the river that roared in the 
distance. The east wind drove the rain in beat- 
ing sheets against the long sides of the bark 







'The longhou.se of the Wolf Clan" 



196 The Hero of the Longhouse 

house, drove the pouring rain onto the wide roof, 
and sent it into the smoke hole. Then the aged 
grandmother crooned and sang with the east 
wind; spoke pleasant words of 0-yan-do-ne, the 
moose. 

Hear the tramp of Oyandone, 
Hear his tramp in beating rainfall, 
All the happy streams are calling 
And the deep-voiced forest answers : 
"Welcome art thou, Oyandone !" 

When the south wind, the gentle fawn, Neoga, 
sent her breath over the woodlands and the 
flowers pushed their woolly buds through the 
brown leaves and opened in beauty and fra- 
grance, the gaoseha of Tonedawa hung from the 
branch of Ki-on-da-ga, the oak tree. 

There in the sunshine, the blind grandmother 
sat for hours, still crooning to the little Owiraa. 
This time she sang of the south wind, the fawn. 

Feel the soft breath of Neoga — 
Neoga who comes with the song birds, 
She fills the green woodland with flowers, 
She sings with the corn in the maize fields. 
She lingers to kiss my Owiraa. 

Sometimes a bird lighted on the ring of the 
gaoseha, close to the face of Tonedawa, and sang 
of its nestlings. Often Arosea, the squirrel, 
frisked about her or ate a nut, while he watched 
her with curious wonder. Ki-on-da-ga, the oak 
tree, put out its soft leaves with their wide, 
jagged margins and curtained the gaoseha with 



Tonedawa, the Child of Hiawatha 197 

soft shadows. All the earth was young with 
Tonedawa. 

Often the busy Wanutha came to Kiondaga, 
the oak tree, and, swinging the light gaoseha to 
her shoulders, placed the embroidered strap 
across her forehead. Then mother and child lost 
themselves together in the forest or along the 
stream side. 

Sometimes, at the day's end, Hiawatha came 
to the oak tree to find the little maiden. Then he 
took her in his strong arms and perched her on 
his shoulder; he talked to her of all the kindly 
forest creatures, or he brought her a bright 
flower that he had found in his far-away hunting. 
Very often the tiny hand of Tonedawa touched 
his forehead and with magic fingers banished care 
and brought back hope and freedom. 

For Hiawatha came to his little Owiraa with 
a hea^y burden, the burden of thwarted endeavor 
and unending labor. Moon by moon he was fol- 
lowed by the oppressing conviction that the five 
tribes were launched upon a long war of exter- 
mination, for after so much provocation the Sen- 
ecas would never ask for peace ; they would tire- 
lessly work for conquest. In vain he labored in 
council against the war ; in vain he strove to hold 
the party of peace to decisive action. 

One night in late autumn when all the village 
was sleeping, Wanutha, filled with restless fore- 
bodings, noiselessly stepped out from the long- 
house of the Wolf Clan and listened intently in 



198 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the stillness. A cold mist made a lake of the 
maize fields and covered the forest with a soft 
curtain. Wanutha knew that Hiawatha had 
scouts on all the trails southward and westward; 
but on such a night only Ohanta, the ear, could 
help the watcher, and on such a night a foe might 
well attempt to surprise the Onondagas. 

But the keen ear of Wanutha could detect no 
slightest movement, no sound of stealthy foot- 
steps. As she turned to reenter the longhouse, 
her quick eye caught a faint glow to the south- 
ward. She watched it a brief moment; saw it 
leap and flicker through the grey mist-veil ; then 
the truth flashed across her. Nantasasis was 
burning! The enemy had surprised Nantasasis! 

Instantly the shrill cry of Wanutha startled 
the sleeping village: "Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah, Kwa- 
ah !" In a moment Hiawatha, in the longhouse of 
the Turtles, seized his bow and fastened the 
quiver of arrows. Before the last of the people 
had emerged from their bark houses, he disap- 
peared in the forest, followed by a scant two 
score of warriors. 

When Hiawatha and his little band reached 
Nantasasis, they found it a smoking ruin with 
only a handful of wounded survivors left to tell 
of the disaster. The village had been surprised 
by a company of Cayugas who had secured many 
captives and hastily departed westward. 

For the first time Hiawatha saw the mangled 
bodies of the aged; the bodies of women from 



Tonedawa, the Child of Hiawatha 199 

which the scalp lock of long hair had been taken ; 
the bodies of little children who had been killed 
by blows of the war club. That sight fired him 
with the passion of battle. He hastily called his 
little band of warriors about him and spoke: "If 
we run swiftly enough by the hunting trail to 
Lake Otisco and then turn northward, we can 
reach the warpath ahead of the Cayugas, ambush 
them, and rescue the captives. Who will go with 
Hiawatha?" A war cry was the answer. 

The mist had lifted, and a full moon was shin- 
ing. In three hours they were lying in ambush. 
A half hour later they heard the tread of many 
footsteps; the war party was approaching. A 
moment later the Cayugas were startled by the 
sudden blows of Kajawa. The war club seemed 
to spring at them from the bushes. Then a hand- 
to-hand fight began. Hiawatha was attacked by 
the leader, a powerful warrior. As the Turtle 
chieftain turned to meet the uplifted war club, 
he stood face to face with Aodogweh, his one-time 
comrade, banished long ago for murder. Both 
stood motionless an instant; then Aodogweh 
dropped his weapon and fled, followed by the 
Cayugas. 

Aodogweh had broken the law of the exile! 
Not only had he returned to the forbidden soil of 
Onondaga, but he had returned as an enemy. 

Hiawatha knew well that this treacherous 
action would bring shame to the kinsmen of the 
exile who still dwelt in Kanatagowa. The life 



200 The Hero of the Longhouse 

of Daweyongo, the plighted friend of Aodogweh, 
would be darkened and his pathway hedged with 
difficulty. Hiawatha recalled how faithfully 
Daweyongo had repaid to the utmost the kins- 
men of Swaoweh whom Aodogweh had mur- 
dered. Now the old hatred would be aroused, 
and a bitter feud would spring up. The clans- 
men of Swaoweh would have clan vengeance 
upon the warriors of Cayuga who had followed 
the traitor into battle. 

Swiftly these thoughts passed through the 
mind of Hiawatha. Before he reached Nantasa- 
sis, he had determined not to speak of the treach- 
ery of Aodogweh. When the smoke of Asoquata 
should arise between the United Tribes of the 
Real Men, such wrongs might be settled by tribal 
justice, not by clan vengeance. 

The return was made slowly, for the rescued 
women and children were very weary. At day- 
break the party reached the smouldering heap 
of ruins that had been Nantasasis. 

Already the wounded were cared for by the 
helpers who had hastened from the nearer vil- 
lages. Hiawatha counseled with the group of 
homeless survivors. There was only one way 
open. They must find shelter in the other towns 
of Onondaga for the winter; in the spring they 
could rebuild Nantasasis. 

That winter the cheerful fireside of Wanutha 
was shared with two orphaned children from 
Nantasasis. That same winter the lips of the 



Tonedawa, the Child of Hiatcatha 201 

little Tonedawa began to speak the language of 
her people. First of all she lisped the best-loved 
words in that language, the word Isteaha, my 
Mother, and the word Ihani, my Father. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 

JIGONSASA, THE QUEEN OF THE NEUTRALS 

One day in autumn, as Aijah, the Seneca cap- 
tive, wife of Daweyongo, sat at the edge of the 
home fields, weaving reeds into a mat to cover 
the earth floor of her fireside, Hiawatha suddenly 
stood beside her. He spoke at once: "My sister, 
Hiawatha would hear from thy lips of Ji-gon- 
sa-sa, the wise Peace Queen of the Neutrals. The 
land of Aij all's birth lies close to the land of the 
Neutrals. Through all the days of her childhood 
and youth, Aijah has heard the birds sing of 
Jigonsasa, the Great ]Mother. Will not my sister 
speak of these things to Hiawatha, her brother?" 

And Aijah answered; "Far away to the west- 
ward, just above the place where the great Falls 
of Ne-ah-ga' thunder, stands Ki-en-i-ka, the vil- 
lage of the Peace Home. In a lodge without the 
village dwells Jigonsasa, the Peace Queen. 

"She is descended from Ataensic, the first 
woman. She comes from a long race of Great 
Mothers. Because the ears of her people are 
open to the words of the Peace Queen, their feet 
turn away from the warpath; nor will they lend 
tliemselves to the wars of their neighbors. Be- 
cause the Real Men revere the wisdom of the race 
of Great Mothers, the life of Jigonsasa is sacred ; 
and no tribe will go on the warpath against the 
neutrals so long as Jigonsasa dwells in the House 
of Peace. All this is well known to Hiawatha. 

^ Niagara. 
202 



Jigonsasa, the Queen of the Neutrals 203 

"The fire of the House of Peace is fed with 
pine knots, so that its warm hght will always wel- 
come the strangers who come to its doorway. 
Within the House of Peace are large stores of 
maize and dried venison, and food is always ready 
in abundance so that the hungry may enter and 
find plenty. Whoever lifts the pelt of the door- 
way and enters the Peace Home is safe from his 
pursuer, for no blood may be shed in Kienika. 
Even if the lips of Jigonsasa speak the death 
word, the sentence must be executed in another 
place, for blood would defile the sacred ground 
of the House of Peace. 

"Broad and well-trodden are the paths that 
lead to Kienika. Thither go those who desire 
peace, to find counsel in the wisdom of the Great 
Mother of Nations. Thither go the sad and dis- 
couraged, and thither the poor and hungry. He 
that is in dispute, he that is pursued by hatred 
and malice, comes witli his enemy, that through 
the wisdom of Jigonsasa he may find once more 
the way of safety. For in the presence of the 
Ye-go-wa-neh, the wise woman, all hatreds are 
forgotten and the wild clouds of anger that 
darken the eyes are banished." 

Then Hiawatha answered: "Hiawatha will 
seek the Peace Queen and learn from her how to 
drive darkness from the hearts of his people." 

Three suns afterward, an hour before the early 
dawn light, Hiawatha, dressed in new garments, 
stood at the door of the longhouse of the Wolf 



204 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Clan. There at the doorway was Wanutha, and 
by her side was the little maiden Tonedawa. 
From the hands of Wanutha Hiawatha received 
the bread for his journey. From her lips he re- 
ceived quiet words of farewell that carried more 
than spoken blessings. 

On the Gasunto, two men awaited the coming 
of Hiawatha. They were Sosondoweh and Da- 
weyongo. 

Hiawatha stepped into the bark canoe, and 
the swift paddles of his two friends sent it flying 
northward. At night the three slept at the Falls 
of the Oswego. Before morning dawned, their 
canoe was flying westward over the waters of 
Ontario. The next sun saw them north of the 
Seneca country. On the third sun their canoe 
crossed the water where the Genesee flows into 
Ontario. The next day they skirted the wide 
land of the Neutrals. At sunset they landed 
where the Niagara River carries the waters of 
Erie into Ontario. The dawn light found them 
journeying southward along the Niagara. Be- 
fore the sun had reached the zenith, they heard 
the distant roar of the Falls of Niagara, and felt 
its far-off reverberations. They had reached the 
end of their journey. A smooth footpath running 
eastward through the forest, brought them to 
Kienika — led them to the house of the Peace 
Queen. 

As the three paused at the doorway, the skin 
hangings were drawn backward and an aged 



Jigonsasa, the Queen of the Neutrals 205 

woman bade them enter. Together they stepped 
within the anteroom of the House of Peace; they 
saw the shining of the firehght in the long central 
hall; a clear voice from within, asked them to 
enter. 

In a moment they stood before Jigonsasa, the 
Great Mother. The snows of many winters lay 
lightly upon her. Her form was as straight as 
an ash tree. The face of Jigonsasa was both 
aged and youthful. There were deep lines of 
thought upon it; but the eyes shone like the stars 
lighted by the Great Ruler, when the sun has en- 
tered his lodge. 

When they had eaten the bread of the Peace 
Home, Jigonsasa bade the visitors formal wel- 
come. Then Hiawatha addressed the Peace 
Queen, speaking through the lips of Daweyongo 
in the tongue of the Cayugas. 

"Isteaha, my Mother, Hiawatha of the Turtle 
Clan has come to the Peace Home, traveling 
from the Onondaga country by the pathway of 
the water. Very dark is the land of the Onon- 
dagas. It is covered by clouds of warfare that 
have risen in the west sky and do not pass over. 
A wizard sits in Onondaga at whose word the 
dark war clouds gather. INIuch the people fear 
the anger of this wizard, for his commands are 
heard at a distance. The people of Onondaga 
believe that the eyes of the wizard are always 
upon them ; that his ears hear what they whisper 
at the fireside or speak in the distant hunting 
lodge. 



206 The Hero of the Loughousc 

"Listen, Isteaha, to the words of Hiawatha. 
So long have the men of Onondaga followed the 
warpath that their hearts are darkened and their 
feet can walk in no other. When the warriors re- 
tui-n from the well-trodden warpath they mope 
in their lodges. Xo longer are the hunting paths 
of their Fathers pleasant. [Mother, continue to 
listen. The words of Hiawatha are heavy with 
sorrow, for the. men of Onondaga have grown 
mad with warfare. 

"Isteaha, my JNIother, his clan spirit has com- 
manded Hiawatha to unite the five tribes of the 
Real ^len into a confederation. This union is 
pictured in the totem given in Hiawatha's dream- 
fast. By this token Hiawatha knows that the 
warfare between the Real INIen offends the 
Master of Life. It is His will that Wiey smoke 
the peace pipe together and bury their weapons 
of warfare forever. 

"Twelve winters have passed since Hiawatha 
in the dream-fast heard the words of his clan 
spirit. But still the Iroquois war on each other. 
The peace words of Hiawatha sound foolish in 
tlie ears of the young men of the Onondagas ; and 
Atotarho who leads them to battle is great in elo- 
quence and mighty in warfare. Can the Great 
Peace IMother teach Hiawatha how to make the 
peace words convincing? Can she show him how 
to remove evil creeping things from the foot- 
paths between the tribes of the Real Men, so that 
again they may be one people?" 



Jigonsasa, the Queen of the Neutrals 207 

And the wise woman, the Yegowuneh, an- 
swered: "lyeaha, my Son, between the Real Men 
are many pathways; but many are the obstruc- 
tions in the footpaths, and the streams and water- 
ways are choked. With patience the wise man 
clears away the entangling vines and bushes ; the 
fallen trees he burns with fire. He who is wise 
passes around the rock that blocks the pathway 
through the forest, and the feet of those behind 
him safely follow. Long must the labor continue 
before the pathways are cleared and straightened. 

"Let my Son remember that among the 
tribes of the Real Men there are many that Hia- 
watha's eyes have never looked on who in winters 
to come will labor with him on the path that he 
buildeth. Four winters ago Da-ga-no-we-da, 
a Huron, stood before the lodge of Jigonsasa. 
His face was toward the sun's rising. He said, 
'I go to light a sacrificial fire among a strange 
people. Far to the east a great peace smoke will 
arise. Thither Daganoweda journeys.' 

"Let the heart of Hiawatha be at rest. Is not 
the good trail, the Wa-gwen-ne-yuh, made by the 
footsteps of many? So shall it be with the path- 
way that Hiawatha seeks to build. For when 
the feet of the people enter the open pathway, 
they will say, 'It is a better way than the old one. 
We will make it clear and straight for the feet of 
our children.' " 

Long was the silence that followed, while the 
heart of Hiawatha pondered the words of Jigon- 
sasa. Then the Yegowaneh spoke again : 



208 Tlic Hero of tJie Longhouse 

"The way of Hiawatha is long. Let him tarry 
in the House of Peace while the night sun is 
shining. Let him find comfort and rest in the 
House of Peace, so that he can return with new 
strength to his people." 

So Hiawatha abode in the Peace Home. He 
saw one enter in haste, for the avenger was close 
behind him. He saw both depart in forgiveness 
and friendship, for this was the will of the Great 
Mother. As he listened, Hiawatha perceived 
that the words of Jigonsasa were filled with the 
power of gentleness and wisdom. In that place 
he began to understand how to answer his own 
question; began to understand how to make the 
peace words persuasive. 

At nightfall Hiawatha listened again to the 
words of the Great Mother: "lyeaha, my Son, 
let thy heart be full of courage for the clan spirit 
of Hiawatha knows full well that the Iroquois 
can be united. He sees that Hiawatha can accom- 
plish this union. ]My Son, it was for this cause 
that a command was given in thy dream-fast and 
a promise in thy totem." 

Through all the winters of his lifetime, Hia- 
watha cherished these words of the Peace Queen. 

On the morning of the third sun, Hiawatha 
stood before Jigonsasa in parting. He received 
from her hands the parched corn for his journey. 
He listened to her words of parting. 

"lyeaha, my Son, thou art commanded by thy 
clan spirit to clear the streams and open the 




The sacrificial fire of Daganoweda 



210 The Hero of the Longhouse 

pleasant pathway between the tribes of the Real 
Men. Great will be thy labor, but the eyes of 
the Master of Life will see it. When thou 
comest to the place of difficulty, send a message 
to Jigonsasa and she will meet thee." 

On the day that Hiawatha departed from the 
House of Peace, two birds of dark plumage ^ flew 
to the lodge of Atotarho, the war chieftain. As 
the birds spoke, the dark chieftain eagerly 
listened. For three days the birds had flown 
westward; they had followed Hiawatha's canoe 
on its journey along the south shore of the 
Beautiful Lake ; they had followed as it skimmed 
the land of the Eries. With his two friends they 
had seen him enter the House of Peace. Then 
they swiftly returned to Kanatagowa, to tell the 
great chieftain that the feet of Hiawatha had 
entered the doorway of Jigonsasa, the Peace 
Queen. 

The face of Atotarho grew darker while he 
listened. He said in his heart: "Hiawatha is 
twice armed ; he is armed with the courage of the 
man and the faith of the woman. Now he seeks 
to add to his power the authority of Jigonsasa, 
the Mother of Nations. Hiawatha is a green 
tree that is growing too fast. The time has come 
to cut off its topmost branch." 

Then Atotarho whispered a word in the ear of 
one of the birds of dark plumage. The evil bird 
listened closely and repeated the words of the 

^ Spies. 



Jigonsasa, the Queen of the Xeutrals 211 

message. Then with wings as noiseless as are 
the wings of Ohowa, the night bird, it took its 
flight to the w^ood's edge. 

There it perched in a deep thicket and watched 
the village. The children were playing here and 
there through the open; boys practiced at the ball 
game ; old men talked in the shade of a pine tree. 
But the bird did not see the children, nor the 
boys, nor the old men. It saw only the women 
coming and going from field and longhouse and 
forest. At last it saw the wife of Hiawatha leave 
the longhouse of the Wolf Clan and enter the 
forest. Then with noiseless flight the dark bird 
pursued her. 

Wanutha gathered wood berries. As she 
worked, her thoughts were as a pleasant song in 
praise of Hiawatha. Then an arrow pierced her 
heart! The body of Wanutha lay motionless in 
the forest; the dark bird flew noiselessly toward 
the lodge of Atotarho ! 

Very swift was the home journey of Hiawatha, 
for his heart and the hearts of his two friends re- 
joiced with new hope. In three suns Hiawatha 
stood at the door of the longhouse of the Wolf 
Clan. A sound of wailing greeted him. On a 
couch of bear skins lay Wanutha, pale and silent. 
Quiet were the busy hands that served him ; A'ery 
still were the faithful feet that met him in the 
forest ; silent was the happy voice that bade him 
welcome at the doorway ; closed were the pleasant 
eves that had so often blessed him. 



212 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Hiawatha covered his head and sat down by 
the beloved form of Wanutha. All day and all 
night he sat there without sound of complaint; 
nor did any one dare disturb that silent mourn- 
ing. Then a small hand touched his bosom; 
touched the sacred totem that hung there. It was 
the maiden Tonedawa, the child of Wanutha. As 
if that touch called him to duty and action, Hia- 
watha arose and made ready for the burial. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE 

THE STRUGGLE WITH ATOTARHO 

The fire had scarcely died on the grave of Wa- 
nutha, when a deputation of Mohawk and Oneida 
chiefs arrived in Kanatagowa to ask that a truce 
be made with the Seneca people. In the absence 
of the JNIohawk warriors a war party of Algon- 
kins had crossed the River Skanehtade and in- 
vaded the country as far as Te-ah-ton-ta-lo-ga,' 
which they had left in ashes. The enemy had re- 
turned to their own country carrying away many 
captives. With the Algonkins still unpunished, 
the JSIohawks came to say that they must turn 
their arms eastward; they could no longer fight 
toward the sun's setting. 

When the message of the Mohawks had been 
delivered in council, Atotarho said: "My 
Brothers, for many winters the Mohawks and 
Oneidas have followed the warpath with the 
Onondagas. Like true comrades united by the 
vow of friendship, they have defended each other 
against fierce onslaughts. The Senecas have been 
taught to dread the arrows of battle when the 
three Brothers are behind the bowstrings. The 
boastful enemy has learned the might of Ka- 
jawa, the war club, when it is wielded by the 
strong arm of three United Brothers. 

"My Brothers, not yet are the haughty Senecas 
conquered. It is true their war parties no longer 
run toward the sun's setting; with the Cayugas 

^ A Mohawk town close to the present site of Schenectady. 
213 



214 The Hero of the Longhouse 

they stay at home and watch the Onondaga 
borders. Should the Three Brothers sleep, they 
would come upon them swiftly and destroy them. 
Brothers, Onondaga is a strong warrior who 
stands at the west door of the Longhouse of the 
Three Brothers; if the foe overpowers the de- 
fender of the west door, he will enter and kill the 
Two Brothers. Only when the Three Brothers 
watch together is there safety in the Longhouse. 

"My Brothers, continue to listen. Pursued 
by the vengeance of the JNIohawks, the Algonkins 
have already fled across the Skanehtade. While 
they are still dizzy from the blows of the war club, 
let the Three Brothers descend like fire on the 
lands of the Seneca people. When they have 
scattered the war parties and laid waste the maize 
fields of the Senecas and Cayugas, let the Three 
Brothers turn unitedly against the Algonkins. 
In this way both doors of the Longhouse will be 
kept in safety." 

Atotarho had scarcely finished when Hiawatha 
sprang to his feet. Three times he slowly paced 
around the council fire in silence, the astonished 
eyes of the people following every movement. 
Then with outstretched hand he turned to the Mo- 
hawk and Oneida chieftains and addressed them : 
"The hearts of the Onondagas are heavy for 
their Mohawk brothers who have looked on the 
ash heap that was once Teahtontaloga ; who have 
seen their women and young children carried into 
captivity by the Algonkins. In his sore need the 



The Struggle with Atotarho 215 

Mohawk seeks counsel of his brother who sits at 
Kanatagowa. Let that Brother listen with open 
ears to the words of the suffering Mohawks. Let 
him clear his eyes and make clean his heart so 
that he may speak true words to his Mohawk and 
Oneida Brothers. 

"^ly Brothers, why is it that the Onondagas 
cannot go to the help of the Mohawks; cannot 
with swift canoes swim the Skanehtade and bring 
back their captive women and children? It is 
because six winters ago the Onondagas wronged 
the Senecas and drove them with the Cayugas to 
the warpath. And now for six winters the Five 
Brothers have fought each other. 

"Continue to listen. If the JNIohawk had four 
united Brothers behind him, the Algonkin would 
no longer desire the fair forests toward the sun's 
setting. For only when five united Brothers de- 
fend the great Longhouse that stretches from 
the Gennisheyo to the Skanehtade, can that house 
be kept in safety." 

Turning about Hiawatha addressed the Onon- 
dagas: "Atotarho has told us how faithfully the 
Mohawks have fought with the Onondagas. 
What will the Onondagas do now for their 
brother Mohawks? My Brothers, the Onondagas 
will do justice. They will open their hearts to 
this message from the Mohawk council and make 
peace with the Seneca people. They will make 
amends for the wrongs that the Senecas have 
suffered. Then the Five Brothers will sit down 



216 The Hero of the Longhouse 

at the western door of the Longhouse, and once 
more the smoke of Ahsoquata will ascend from 
the united tribes. Only when we have done jus- 
tice to our Brother who sits on the Gennisheyo, 
can we do justice to our Brother on the Skaneh- 
tade. Naho. I have spoken." 

The passionate conviction of Hiawatha drove 
his words into the hearts of his hearers. The war- 
riors of Onondaga looked in wonder and admira- 
tion on the young Turtle chieftain, for they saw 
that he had bared his breast to Atotarho's secret 
weapons while he spoke true words that ascended 
with the peace smoke to the Great Ruler. 

At once Ho-no-we-na-to, the chief of the Wolf 
Clan, arose and spoke strongly for peace and al- 
liance with the Senecas and Cayugas. His words 
were fearlessly sustained by To-nes-sa-ah, the 
chieftain of the Beavers. Then the council closed 
to meet again on the morrow. 

As Hiawatha left the place of council many 
looked on him as they might have looked on a 
beloved brother walking to death by torture. 
All that night Hiawatha's fireside was guarded 
by the unsleeping eyes of Sosondoweh. When 
he entered the forest at daybreak, Sosondoweh 
walked beside him. 

The next daj^ as the council reconvened, a 
death cry startled the village. Soon a group of 
warriors entered the place of council bearing the 
body of Honowenato. The chieftain of the Wolf 
Clan had been struck by a secret assassin. When 



The Struggle with Atotarho 217 

the council was in order, men saw that Tonessaah, 
the Beaver chieftain, was absent; he had fled 
from Onondaga for safety. 

The people were thrown into confusion. In 
vain Hiawatha pleaded for justice to the Senecas 
and JNIohawks. The words of Atotarho prevailed, 
and the Mohawks received an evasive answer. 
From sun to sun, the men of Kanatagowa looked 
on Hiawatha as if they saw a dead man walking. 
Why did Atotarho spare him? That question 
they could not answer. 

One day Sosondoweh rested beside a deep 
spring. He was returning from a sacrificial fire 
on the mountain of Hiawatha's fasting. The as- 
cending smoke of the sacred tobacco had carried 
his hopes for Hiawatha upward to the Great 
Ruler. 

All at once Ho-das-ha-te, his clan chieftain, 
successor of Honowenato, stood beside him. He 
spoke: "Are the eyes of Sosondoweh closed, that 
he walks unarmed while the footprints of the 
enemy are all about him. The kinsmen of Hia- 
watha have fallen, so that he stands like a tree 
shorn of its branches. And does not Sosondoweh 
see that the friends of the great peace chieftain 
are now falling under the blows of Kajawa, the 
silent? Why does not Sosondoweh seek a path 
of safety?" 

Sosondoweh answered quietly: "Let the heart 
of Hodashate be at peace. While Hiawatha re- 
mains in Onondaga, Sosondoweh will remain 



218 The Hero of the Longhouse 

with him. Atotarho fears strong medicine far 
more than the might of Kajawa. He knows that 
the mighty eloquence and wisdom of Hiawatha 
are drawn from Hagwediyu, the Good Mind. 
When Atotarho sees that Sosondoweh walks 
alone and unarmed through the forest, he will 
understand well that Sosondoweh is defended by 
some powerful medicine, and he will fear to 
strike, not knowing what spirit he might offend." 

In truth the scouts of Atotarho brought word 
that very day how Sosondoweh had made much 
medicine — how all night long he had kejDt his 
sacrificial fire burning. Atotarho listened to this 
message in scowling silence. 

One day in the moon of the first snow, Aijah, 
the Seneca captive, joined Shawenis, who was 
standing at the edge of the forest. The aged 
woman spoke kindly words of greeting. 

At once Aijah said : "The words of my Mother 
are spoken clearly, but her thoughts are far dis- 
tant." 

Shawenis answered: "Moon by moon the 
thoughts of Shawenis follow the perilous foot- 
steps of Hiawatha. She sees the burdens of the 
people heaped upon him. In council she sees 
him battle alone with the relentless Atotarho." 

Aijah said: "Isteaha, my Mother, dost thou 
not see that the bitter struggle is fruitless, so long 
as Atotarho is war chieftain?" 

The voice of Shawenis was very low when she 
answered: "^My Daughter, the horns of office can 




■l^lj*^: 



■f -^ 




"Sosondoweh rested beside a il 



;p ..pi-mg 



220 The Hero of the Longhouse 

be knocked from the head of Atotarho. Is it not 
the right of the Royaners, the noble women, to 
depose an unworthy chieftain?" 

The younger woman answered: "Isteaha, 
Aijah has thought on this matter." 

Shawenis continued: "I will call the Royaners 
of the tribe together and counsel with them on 
the ways of Atotarho." 

Quickly the beautiful Seneca woman placed 
her hand on the shoulder of Shawenis and said 
with affectionate pleading: "Dear to Aijah is 
the light in the eyes of Shawenis, and dear is her 
faithful watch-care." 

The aged woman quietly answered the thought 
in the mind of the other: "My Daughter, Sha- 
wenis knows well that the matter is full of peril, 
but shall we not meet peril with Hiawatha?" 

Three suns later the Royaners of all Onon- 
daga met together in the lodge of Shawenis. It 
was a group of women who had learned much of 
life, mysterious Yonhe; learned much of her 
strange ways and deep meanings. The feet of 
some of them were approaching the sunset ; there 
was not one of them who had not reached the 
middle of her life-course. Each carried the 
marks of a mind sagacious in choosing; carried 
in face and bearing the tokens of wisdom. 

Shawenis, who had called them together, ad- 
dressed them: "My Sisters, for generations the 
Royaners of the Real Men have named its new 
chieftains; for generations they have held the 



The Struggle with Atotarho 221 

power of deposing a leader of the people who dis- 
honored his office. 

"Listen, my Sisters. A chieftain sits in Kana- 
tagowa who is full of secret counsels. He is 
crafty and revengeful; the free speech of the 
council is checked in his presence; he wages un- 
just and unnecessary warfare; he has many spies 
and assistants who are seen in places near and 
distant, but what they do is not reported when 
the free men of Onondaga sit under the ascend- 
ing smoke of Ahsoquata. 

"3Iy Sisters, all this is an offense against the 
Great Ruler. It shames the Royaners of Onon- 
daga that they have forgotten their great office. 
Now let us strike the horns of office from the 
head of Atotarho." 

For a long time the Royaners were silent. 
Then an aged woman spoke: "The women of 
Onondaga know well that Shawenis has spoken 
truly. The horns should be struck from the head 
of Atotarho. But the Seneca people are en- 
raged against the Onondagas, and they are the 
most powerful of the Iroquois in battle. Ato- 
tarho is skilled above every other war chieftain; 
nor in all the annals of our people has there been 
a warrior with such genius in fighting. If we 
depose him, the Senecas will sweep down like a 
forest fire and devour Onondaga." 

And this was the voice of the Noble Women. 

Ten suns later, they found Shawenis sitting 
dead on a distant hillside, her lap filled with the 
last herbs of autumn. 



222 The Hero of the Longhouse 

So died the wise woman of the Onondagas. 
Surely Gayewaas, the great sky watcher, sent his 
brightest ray to Hght her footsteps on the journey 
across the great sky path. Surely he placed in 
her hand one of his brightest star torches to light 
her to the land where stood the shining lodges of 
the beloved ones who were waiting. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR 

THE AWAKENING OF HIAWATHA 

Through five long winters Sosondoweh and Da- 
weyongo guarded the perilous footstej^s of Hia- 
watha. At need they were his secret scouts and 
runners. A number of warriors of Onondaga 
stood beside the great peace chieftain who so 
fearlessly faced Atotarho; but one by one they 
fell or were driven into exile. 

Because of all of these things the people loved 
Hiawatha; yet most of them could not under- 
stand his hatred of warfare and his prudent 
speech concerning peace and justice. 

His fruitless efforts to unite the Iroquois had 
left deep marks upon the chieftain of the Turtles. 
His spirit was well nigh broken, and hope was 
waning within him. His life was burdened with 
the sorrows of his people ; yet he could not make 
them see the pathway to peace and safety. And 
now he often left the council, where he had vainly 
labored to persuade them, filled with despair and 
impatience. In such hours he said in his heart: 
"The long years of labor and teaching are fruit- 
less. The minds of the people are dulled by hard- 
ships, and their hearts are so hopeless and dark- 
ened that they have lost all vision." 

The new village, standing on a high hill at the 

headwaters of the Gasunto, looked far away to 

the blue hills about Lake Tekaneadahe.' Only 

three winters had the village been there, but the 

1 Tully Lake. 



224 The Hero of the Longhouse 

warpaths were clear and well trodden. Many 
familiar faces had disappeared forever from the 
new town ; and many were the strangers within it. 
Children had grown into youth, and boys had 
become warriors. Many of the men had fallen 
or become captives to other peoples, some had 
fied into exile for fear of Atotarho. The women 
were bowed with labor and scarred with mourn- 
ing. The old Kanatagowa had disappeared, and 
in its place was a town half of whose men were 
adopted captives. 

The lust of war had fallen upon Onondaga. 
Her men were in love with the wild excitement 
of battle; in love with the war dance and the 
records of the war post; in love with the honors 
and spoils of warfare. Beautiful to them were 
the war paint and the scalp fringes and the long 
lines of captives. The longer they warred, the 
more they lusted for blood and battle. 

Feuds with distant nations, feuds with other 
Iroquois tribes, feuds with sister towns, and feuds 
between clans and neighbors made every warrior 
a stealthy man who was blood hungry. Every- 
where there was peril, and everywhere there was 
mourning. 

Strange tales were whispered of Atotarho. 
The people said : "He is master of evil arts. His 
magic is so great that he can destroy at a dis- 
tance; but he himself cannot be destroyed. His 
aspect is so terrifying that he can paralyze with 
a look. Some say that when he is angry the hairs 



The Awakening of Hiawatha 22 o 

curl about his head like living serpents, that liis 
fingers twist in snake-like contortions. Surely 
Atotarho has become an evil magician." 

Among the men of all Onondaga, there was no 
one so feared as Atotarho and no one so 
trusted as Hiawatha. 

It was Hiawatha alone who stood in the 
council and spoke eloquently against warfare. It 
was Hiawatha who spoke for the burdened 
women when they could no longer endure their 
labors and sorrows. He it was who told the 
people of the ancient times when the Men of ]Men 
dwelt together as one tribe. It was he who 
showed them how they could be reunited like a 
strong clan where brother defends brother. No 
other warrior was so successful in hunting and 
fishing. He trained the boys to follow game so 
that they could feed the hungry village. His 
careful eyes watched the precious maize fields; 
he was tireless in liis thoughtful watch-care for 
the aged and for the young children. 

Sometimes the Turtle chieftain thought of 
leaving his tribe and seeking alliance with the 
jSIohawks. But a little hand held Hiawatha in 
Onondaga, held him as fast as if it were a hand 
of iron. It was the hand of his child, the maiden 
Tonedawa. 

This child of Wanutha had been cherished by 
her kinsfolk. From the women of the Wolf Clan 
the maiden learned the simple arts of her people. 
From Aijah, she learned to shape clay into forms 



226 The Hero of the Longhouse 

of grace and beauty, to weave thread and grass 
and reeds, to dye the quills of the hedgehog, and 
to embroider the deerskin garments. From the 
aged Nogondih, blind and bent with many 
winters, she learned the traditions of her clan- 
folk and the story of her mother. But from the 
lips of Hiawatha, she learned the great story of 
the Real Men, learned the meaning of worship, 
learned to bestow on the people of the village 
kind thought and to be gracious in behavior. 

Hiawatha strove to hide from the eyes of the 
maiden the sight of cruel torture; strove to stop 
her ears to the sounds of sorrow and warfare; 
strove to turn her heart in trust to the Great 
Ruler. His mind misgave him lest some calamity 
befall Tonedawa, for well he knew that her path- 
way was beset on all sides with peril. Some- 
times he said to the maiden: "Should sudden 
danger threaten, lift thy heart to the Great Wis- 
dom. In the moment of peril keep thyself in 
peace and quiet, for surely the Master of Life 
will have thee in His keeping." 

And the maiden Tonedawa grew up like a 
flower of the forest that opens to the sunshine 
but closes to darkness and tempest. 

One morning Hiawatha stood before the lodge 
of the Wolf Clan prepared for the hunting. Be- 
side him was Tonedawa, carrying her rude doll 
of maize husks. As he looked down on her, 
his heart was chilled by a premonition of 
coming evil. He lifted a long braid of hair from 




1^ 



« .V ' 



'Tonedawa grew up like a flower of the forest" 



228 The Hero of the Longhouse 

her shoulder and held it in his hand for a mo- 
ment; then he touched his quiver of arrows as if 
to disarm himself. But, speaking the word of 
farewell, he turned and left the village. 

That day Tonedawa wandered far into the 
forest with a company of maidens. They were 
seeking the sunny spots in the woodland where 
strawberries gi-ew. As they returned to the vil- 
lage, they heard a strange crying and shouting. 

All the people were in commotion. They saw 
the warriors running toward them with their 
bows and arrows. Then they saw a great bird of 
wondrous plumage flying above them. "It is 
Ha-goks," the maidens cried. "It is Hagoks, the 
mystical eagle!" They fled to shelter behind 
trees and rocks — all but the child of Hiawatha, 
who stood still in speechless wonder, gazing up- 
ward at Hagoks. 

At that moment an arrow reached the magical 
bird and he fell reeling downward to the very 
feet of Tonedawa. The crowd of warriors swept 
forward. Who should possess the priceless 
plumes of Hagoks? Whose was the arrow that 
had reached him? They seized the dead Hagoks 
and despoiled him of his plumage, and in their 
greed and fury they fought fiercely with one an- 
other. 

When the tumult had ended, they found a 
maiden lying where the marvelous Hagoks had 
fallen. She was very still and silent, and when 
they came near and looked into the upturned face 



Tlie Awakening of Hiawatha 229 

they fled backward in horror. It was Tonedawa, 
the child of Hiawatha, thrown down and 
trampled by the crowding warriors! She had 
perished with the magical sun bird ; she had fallen 
with the mysterious Hagoks! 

That night the village was silent save for 
piercing cries of anguish that split the heavens. 
They were the cries of Hiawatha. And there 
was no one in the village, neither friend nor 
woman nor child nor wise man, that dared ap- 
proach him with comfort. 

They made a grave for Tonedawa beside the 
graves of her j)eople. They dressed her in em- 
broidered garments and hung priceless shells 
about her neck ; they placed beside her the bread 
for the journey. Then they covered the beautiful 
face and laid it deep in the breast of the great 
Earth Mother. So perished Tonedawa, child of 
Hiawatha. 

When the nights of watching were ended, when 
the spirit of Tonedawa had traveled far on its 
skyward pathway, Hiawatha arose from the 
grave and turned his face northward. 

He traveled as one who seeks not his pathway. 
About midsun he touched the banks of the Os- 
wego. At the sound of its waters a mist seemed 
to fade from before him, and his eyes became see- 
ing. He roused himself like one who wakens 
from hea\y slumber. He said, "Far away to 
the northward I hear the sound of voices calling, 
calling clearly from the distance. They are the 



230 The Hero of the Longhouse 

stern voices of the great ones of old who are bid- 
ding me to the old home beside the Falls of the 
Oswego." 

Through the tangled thickets, through the 
open woodlands, Hiawatha hurried forward, un- 
heeding of darkness or daylight. Okwari slunk 
away from his presence, and Hotyone hurried to 
hide from his passing; every creature hastened to 
leave his pathway open. 

In the starlight he came to the Falls of the 
Oswego ; came to the shores of Skanodario. And 
there, in the ancient refuge of his Fathers, he lay 
down unsheltered and slept as a child sleeps who 
returns home after long absence. 

Hiawatha wakened from that deep slumber 
with the vision of a new dream-fast upon him. 
Clearly he saw his life path; saw its long back- 
ward windings and whither it led him. In that 
hour he said : "Now I understand why Atotarho 
has spared me. For many winters I have filled 
the pouches of his warriors with dried venison. 
Like a strong company of women I have brought 
home the food that has supported warfare. 
Truly, I have labored for war along with Ato- 
tarho. Now I see that the Onondagas have two 
war chieftains: one is Atotarho who leads in 
battle; the other is Hiawatha who defends the 
homeland in his absence. 

"Did not Jigonsasa promise that many whom 
Hiawatha had never seen would aid him in bring- 
ing peace to the Keal Men? If the hearts of the 



The Awakening of Hiatcatha 281 

Onondagas are closed to the Peace Message, 
Hiawatha will carry it to another tribe of the 
Real Men." 

A second night Hiawatha slept at the Falls of 
the Oswxgo. In the morning he departed from 
the ancient birthplace of his Fathers. As he went, 
he felt that their voices spoke to him in the many 
tones of Ontario; spoke words of farewell and 
promise. They said: "Go forth, Hiawatha, and 
save the Real ^len, even as they were saved from 
the poisonous breath of the Horned Serpent 
when they fled from their Adirondack masters. 
Go forth without fear, Hiawatha, for Hagwe- 
diyu, the Good Mind, will lead thee, even as He 
led thy Fathers." 



CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE 

THE CHOICE OF THE ONONDAGAS 

When Hiawatha returned to Kanatagowa, he 
appeared like a man standing on a lofty moun- 
tain whose vision is as clear as that of Ote- 
anyea, the eagle. Oteanyea flies nearest the sky, 
and so he sees farthest over the earth below him. 
So Hiawatha moved as one who in a single 
vision sees objects distant and near. 

The next day after his return, Hiawatha sent 
out runners bearing painted sticks that read, "In 
two suns the Onondagas will meet at Kana- 
tagowa for council. It is Hiawatha that invites 
them." Quickly the messengers went to every 
town of the Onondagas. As the people received 
the message they said, "Does some hidden danger 
threaten that the watchful Hiawatha calls a 
council?" 

When the sacred brand had been lighted, Hia- 
watha arose from his place. Three times he 
slowly paced about the council fire; then he 
paused and spoke to the people: 

"My Brothers, when our Fathers fought by 
the Rapid River they defended each other like 
clan brothers. When the Adirondacks pursued 
them like a fire sent from Heaven, they died in 
defense of each other. When, on the troubled 
waters of Skanodario, the Horned Serpent lifted 
his head against them, the warriors of the Real 
]Men faced him in united battle till Heno, the 
thunderer, came to their aid. 



The Choice of the Onondagas 233 

"My Brothers, the Fathers of the Real JNIen 
perished in great numbers in defending each 
other. Those that were saved by Heno were a 
united people; but their children wage the bit- 
terest of wars against each other. 

"Where are the warriors who sat with us about 
the old council fire of the Onondagas? Many 
have left our hunting grounds forever ; some are 
captives who have lost both name and birthright 
forever, and their masters are Real Men; some 
are crowding the pathway of spirits, meeting on 
that journe}^ those whom they have fought. Will 
not the Great Fathers of the Real Men rebuke 
them when they reach the Land of the Blessed, 
because they have fought with each other? 

"My Brothers say that the Onondagas have 
taught the proud Senecas to fear them ; they say 
the Senecas dare not enter the land of the Onon- 
dagas, that even the Seneca scouts hover like 
frightened birds at a distance. But how shall it 
be with your children? How will it be with the 
little ones who are running about on the ground 
or who are tied to the cradle-board? When they 
reach manhood, will there be a chief warrior to 
save them from the vengeance that threatens? 
No, the Onondagas are foolish to eat up their 
own seed corn. The Onondagas are foolish to 
leave their children to grow up with avengers on 
the warpath against them. 

"Brothers, each day the great sun, Kagagw^a, 
looks into the empty villages of the Real Men; 



234 The Hero of the Loughouse 

looks into their deserted hunting grounds and 
their lonely lodges. The Real ^len are passing 
away from the earth because of their wars on each 
other ; they will soon be feeble and few in number. 
When again a multitude of the tree-eating Adi- 
rondacks come from the northward, our warriors 
must flee before them like frightened women. In 
that day our children will become captives to 
strangers. And this shame will come on the Real 
Men because they have warred on each other. 

"My Brothers, continue to listen. The sun, 
the watchful Kagagwa, looks on no people with 
such surpassing courage as the Real Men. The 
warfare between them has been long and bitter, 
and many warriors have fallen; yet no tribe has 
yielded, because Real Men cannot be conquered. 

"Listen, my Brothers, it has been revealed to 
Hiawatha that the Real ^len must put aside war- 
fare with each other. They must bury their 
weapons of warfare so deep that they can never 
again be dug up. Let the Onondagas build a 
great council fire and invite all the Real Men to 
sit together there as in the days of the Great 
Fathers. Let the Onondagas enter a union of 
the five tribes of the Real Men that will banish 
warfare forever from among them. Let them 
become the Ko-nosh-i-o-ni, the United People. 
Then will each tribe of the Iroquois possess the 
strength of all. This is the will of the Great 
Ruler. Naho." 

The words of Hiawatha were like torches light- 



The Choice of the Onondagas 235 

ing the minds of his hearers. The hearts of the 
people were moved, for they perceived that he 
had spoken by inspiration. The old men among 
them were thinking: "This is the heaven-power 
that we saw on him when he returned from his 
fasting. Surely, this is a message sent to us by 
the Great Wisdom. Surely, Hiawatha has 
spoken the words revealed to him by his clan 
spirit." A deep silence fell upon them while the 
minds of the chieftains and wise men were being 
moved to answer. 

But the magic of Atotarho was working. His 
face became terrifying. His burning eyes moved 
from one to the other of the chieftains and war- 
riors, and every man who met that gaze became 
paralyzed in action. No Onondaga, other than 
Hiawatha, would dare to speak in the presence 
of Atotarho. 

The sun moved to midheaven, yet no one spoke 
further. Then, one after another, the people 
arose and stole from the place of council. As 
they went, the silence of that place seemed to 
follow them and to cover them with shame. The 
warriors of Onondaga had become cowards. 
They had lost the power of free discussion; 
lost the ancient right of counsel. Their fears had 
made them slaves of Atotarho. 

But the heart of Hiawatha was not daunted. 
When the sun had risen and set three times, his 
messengers left the village bearing the painted 
sticks of invitation, "In two suns the Onondagas 



23G The Hero of the Longhouse 

will meet at Kanatagowa in council. It is Hia- 
watha that invites them." 

Again they came. In thoughtful silence they 
trod the forest paths and entered the place where 
the wood was laid for the council fire. Then came 
Hiawatha; and the silent people marveled as they 
saw him, for his face was full of confidence and 
hope and his step strong and free like the step of 
a chieftain returning in triumph. But after him 
came Atotarho ; and, as they looked, it w^as as if 
the people saw the messengers of the Good JNIind 
and the Bad Mind before them. 

Again Hiawatha spoke to the people. Now it 
was as if one of the Great Fathers had returned 
to them; returned in love and pity to lead them 
from darkness and sorrow into light and safety. 
The words of Hiawatha were like the sound of 
flowing waters to the thirsty hunter. As they 
listened, the hearts of the people wxre refreshed 
and filled with new life and courage. Surely the 
Onondagas would not lose their ancient right of 
debating in council; surely they would stand by 
the man they most loved and trusted ; surely they 
would not turn away from the great light that 
was shining among them ! 

But when Hiawatha had finished, a compelling 
fear drew the eyes of the warriors to Atotarho. 
He sat there silent and haughty, and his crafty 
face was turned from one to another of the chief- 
tains and wise men. Those who met the strange 
eyes of the wizard felt their tongues becoming 



The Choice of the Onondagas 237 

parched and their thoughts turning to con- 
fusion. 

Broken and bewildered, one after another of 
the Onondagas left that council. When all the 
people had gone. Atotarho arose and returned to 
his longhouse in silence. 

Then Hiawatha sought the gloom of the deep 
forest. His heart was torn with disappointment 
at his people. He said: "The Onondagas have 
become cowards; warfare has robbed them of 
the ancient pride in theii* birthright! Xo longer 
are they free men; they are captives to Ato- 
tarho!" 

Bitterly he thought that Sosondoweh and Da- 
weyongo had failed him; that no friend or clans- 
man had dared to stand beside him ; that not one 
of the party of peace had been fearless enough to 
speak his mind in the presence of Atotarho. 

But love of his ovm people soon prevailed. Xot 
yet would Hiawatha believe that they were 
cowards. His purpose was not yet defeated; he 
would try once more. Then, if the Onondagas 
proved faitliless, he would seek for freemen 
among the other tribes of the Real ]Men. Had 
not Jigonsasa told how the stranger Dagan- 
oweda, a Huron, had journeyed eastward fore- 
telling the coming of a great peace? 

So it was that after three suns Hiawatha's 
rminers again went forth, bearing the message of 
invitation to a council. 

After two smis came the morning for the 



238 The Hero of the Longhouse 

council to assemble; but every pathway was de- 
serted. In the dimness of their lodges, the people 
hid themselves in shame and sorrow. Two men 
only entered the place of council: one was Hia- 
watha ; the other, Atotarho. 

Silently they sat there facing each other while 
the sun slowly climbed to midheaven. Then, with 
haughty footsteps, Atotarho arose and walked in 
triumph through the deserted village; he en- 
tered the forest. 

Hiawatha turned his face from the place of 
council; from the sacred place dishonored of the 
people. Slowly he walked to the edge of the vil- 
lage ; walked as one who communes with his own 
mind. At the wood's edge he sat down in silence 
and covered his face with his deerskin mantle. 
Motionless he sat there, until the sun had sunk 
below the western treetops; then he arose and 
turned his feet away from Kanatagowa. 

As he left the home village and moved slowly 
along the southern pathway, he passed a familiar 
spring; a solitary figure was sitting beside it. It 
was Atotarho. For the last time as rival Onon- 
daga chieftains, the two silently met and parted. 



PART THREE 

The Going-out of Hiatvatha 



CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX 

THE RENUNCIATION 

That night Hiawatha camped on the mountain 
where was the sacred place of his dream-fast. 
In the depths of the great pine forest he recalled 
the promise of that dream-fast. Here he renewed 
the old vows that he had made under the first 
leading of his clan spirit. All night he watched, 
waiting the thought that would guide him in the 
long path of exile. 

At length Kagwaga, the great day-bringer, 
awakened all the forest. To the south, Hiawatha 
saw the wide hill lines that parted the waters flow- 
ing northward to the Beautiful Lake from the 
streams that hurried toward the Susquehanna. 
Down by Lake Gaahna the deer were looking 
out from thickets and moving toward the water. 
Hiawatha's hand reached for the famihar bow 
and arrow, and for a moment he felt his hunter's 
blood stir to the call of the forest. Then a great 
sorrow darkened his eyes ; for he knew that, self- 
banished, he was parting from that beloved home- 
land forever. He was parting from the forests of 
his childhood and youth and manhood; say- 
ing a last farewell to the far blue hills that looked 
down on Lake Skaneadice; leaving the clear- 
flowing streams and rivers, and the old beloved 
pathways which his feet knew how to follow in 
darkness. 

The old woodlands talked to him of long-ago 
comrades and friends. They spoke in deep-toned, 

241 



242 The Hero of the Loughouse 

tender voices: "Wilt thou forsake the home for- 
ests, Hiawatha, and leave thy bones among 
strangers? Wilt thou depart forever from the 
land given by the Master of Life to thy Onon- 
daga Fathers f 

All that sun Hiawatha fasted. Then he turned 
away and made a camping place for the night at 
the foot of the mountain. 

On the morning of the fifth day, still fasting, 
he turned his feet eastward. He crossed the 
lands that divided the waters northward and 
southward; lie climbed the wooded slopes that 
held the waters of Lake Tekaneadahe. From 
the hilltops, his eyes followed the distant blue 
mountains that turned the waters southward and 
westward to meet the widening stream of the 
Tioughnioga. 

All the thoughts of Hiawatha followed the 
hurrying waters; followed them southward to 
where the Tioughnioga flows into the wide Che- 
nango. So intimately he knew that far-stretch- 
ing ground that it seemed like a part of himself ; 
everj^iere it was written full of his life's 
story. 

All this time Hiawatha was taking counsel of 
his own spirit. His mind was slowly shaping the 
plan of his great exile ; slowly framing the words 
of the Great Peace that he would bear to other 
peoples. No longer a chieftain, he must go to 
the other tribes of the Real Men as a messenger 
of the Great Peace. Like a faithful runner, he 




D.cuiiV'QcM': 



"Here he renewed the old vows' 



244 The Hero of the Longhouse 

would speak no words save the words of his mes- 
sage ; he would wrap the message close in his mind 
that no word might be forgotten or misspoken. 

Here, on the shores of Lake Tekaneadahe, 
Hiawatha sought for a sign of the peace message 
and found it. Lying in layers, he saw the empty 
shells of the little water snail, some white and 
some purple. Stooping down, he filled a pouch 
of deerskin with them; and he made strings of 
the white shells. 

He said: "JMy path lies far to the eastward. I 
shall come as a messenger of Ka-ri-wi-yo, the 
Great Peace. I shall cover my breast with white- 
ness so that men will know my mission when 
they see me. These shells will hold the words of 
the Great Peace so that not one word may be 
forgotten." As he strung the shells, he talked 
into them the words of the Great Peace. 

So it was that the Ote-ko-a, the wampum 
strings that held the message which should unite 
the Men of Men, was made by the beloved 
Hiawatha. 

On that last day in the land of Onondaga, 
Hiawatha came to feel that the old pathways 
had become unfriendly. Every trail was leading 
him outward ; not one was to lead him homeward. 
He had become an outcast, a wood wanderer. 
Never again in that land could he look for the 
curling smoke from his home village ; never claim 
as his birthright the shelter of the longhouse and 
the welcome of his own fireside. Nevertheless, 



The Renunciation 245 

with far-seeing purpose, Hiawatha turned away 
from the hind of the Onondagas forever. 

That night he camped on the shores of Caze- 
novia Lake in the land of the Oneidas. 

At dawn he heard close at hand the soft call of 
Sohont, the turkey, followed by the cluck of the 
partridge. When he answered, Sosondoweh and 
Daweyongo stood beside him in the forest. 

Hiawatha said: "Why have Sosondoweh and 
Daweyongo followed the footsteps of Hiawatha? 
Why have they left the land of their own peo- 
ple?" 

Sosondoweh answered: "It becomes not a great 
chieftain to journey without attendants. Let 
Sosondoweh and Daweyongo go with Hiawatha 
and serve him." 

Then Hiawatha answered: "Hiawatha is no 
longer a chieftain, but is an exile from his people. 
He is a messenger bearing the words of the Great 
Peace to other peoples." 

Sosondoweh said: "Is not Sosondoweh pledged 
by a vow of friendship to follow Hiawatha in 
every path of danger? Sosondoweh will follow 
Hiawatha." 

Then Daweyongo spoke: "Daweyongo would 
serve Hiawatha because he loves the Great Peace 
that Hiawatha seeks for the tribes of the Real 
Men." 

After a long silence Hiawatha spoke: "Only 
at the command of the Great Ruler may a man 
cast away his birthright. Ye shall not become 



246 The Hero of the Longhouse 

exiles with Hiawatha ; nevertheless ye may serve 
him. Go to To-no-a-ga-o, the Oneida chieftain, 
at the Oneida stronghold and bear to him the 
message of the Great Peace." 

Then Hiawatha read to them the words re- 
corded in the white shell strings ; and, when they 
had repeated the words, they disappeared in the 
forest. 

Hiawatha himself followed the trail that led 
upward from the shores of Lake Cazenovia, until 
he saw the smoke of the Oneida village rising 
from a hill above the forest. Then he put away 
his weapons and sat down to wait by a well- 
trodden pathway that led to the village. As the 
shadows of evening descended, he heard the voice 
of Sosondoweh speaking close beside him, "The 
ears of Tonoagao are closed to the words of Hia- 
watha's message." 

For a time there was silence; then Hiawatha 
spoke: "Go to Jigonsasa, the great Peace Queen, 
and say to her, 'Hiawatha j^rays Jigonsasa, the 
Great Mother, to aid him. The path is closed 
before Hiawatha in his own land. Now his feet 
are set in the long trail leading eastward; he 
seeks the land of the ]\Iohawks, bearing with him 
the message of the Great Peace.' " 

Hiawatha said to his friends: "Wrap this mes- 
sage close; stay not nor rest not until Jigonsasa 
has received it. Then return to Kanatagowa." 
The two friends repeated the message, and si- 
lently took their way westward. 



The Renunciation 2-17 

Hiawatha continued his journey along the hill- 
tops that divide the waters. On the tenth day, 
he saw the smoke of an Oneida village to the 
northward. He crossed the Oriskany, keeping 
the village at a distance, and entered the land of 
the Mohawks. He stopped at no other Oneida 
village, as he understood that the Oneida chief- 
tains, for fear of Atotarho, would refuse to listen 
to the peace message. 

All these days Hiawatha knew well that the 
scouts of Atotarho were about him. But so 
wary had been the movements of Sosondoweh and 
Daweyongo that they eluded the spies of Ato- 
tarho. Thus the war chief soon learned that 
Hiawatha was passing through the lands of the 
Oneidas without entering their villages; but he 
did not know that the peace message had reached 
the Oneidas, nor that his rival had appealed to 
the powerful Queen of the Xeutrals. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN 

THROUGH THE LAND OF THE MOHAWKS 

The Mohawk is the great river of the Iroquois. 
Ages before the coming of the Great Peace Mes- 
sage, the Fathers of the Real Men had made their 
journeys toward the sunrise by following the 
course of the Mohawk. For ages the Real Men 
had possessed a wide hunting ground, through 
which the river made a long water trail eastward 
and westward. The Iroquois believed that the 
land would always hold their footsteps, for the 
Great Ruler never forgot his children nor the 
places of their dwelling. The Great Ruler saw 
clearly the myriad pathways of the generations of 
Real Men that had lived and died in the beauti- 
ful valley of the Mohawk. 

The silver line of the river crept through the 
forested valley, curving its way through the 
land like a huge serpent. There were two long 
curves in the serpent's body; then his head 
dropped sharply for the leap into the Shaneh- 
tade. At the height of each curve stood a village. 
In the northern curve, nearest the tail of Saista, 
the serpent, was Ga-ne-a-ga, the upper strong- 
hold of the Mohawks. Where the shining body 
of Saista swept southward, was Ga-na-yo-he, the 
middle stronghold. The second large northward 
curve of the serpent carried at its crest Teahton- 
taloga. Where the head of Saista dropped sud- 
denly downward to find the Skanehtade, was the 
small village of Ga-ho-ose. 



Through the Land of the Mohawks 249 

The well-beaten footpath, the good trail called 
Wa-gwen-ne-yuh, followed the great curves of 
the river until it neared the fall at Gahoose ; then 
it parted from the Mohawk and ran straight on 
to the height where the village of Skanehtade 
looked down on the River Skanehtade/ 

The day after Hiawatha entered the land of 
the JNIohawks, Kagagwa, the sun, looked over the 
eastern tree tops and saw Ganeaga, the upper 
Mohawk stronghold, all astir with the life of the 
morning. Small groups of hunters were moving 
toward the forest; a company of women were 
going down to the rich, green maize fields on the 
river bottom; a few old men were sitting under 
the trees near the stockade, watching a group of 
youths who practiced at the ball game. 

Suddenly from the forest came the call of a 
stranger. It was three times repeated, "Coo-e-aa! 
Coo-e-aa! Coo-e-aa!" 

Immediately two warriors ran out from the 
lodge of Tec-wi-ho-ga to welcome the visitor and 
lead him into the village. Beside the south trail, 
they found the stranger waiting. His head was 
adorned with the heron feather; his breast was 
covered with white shell strings ; his bearing was 
that of a great chieftain. 

In his well-ordered longhouse, the most aged 
chieftain of the Mohawks met the stranger and 
recognized him. He said: "Hiawatha, thou art 
welcome. Tecwihoga has heard thy voice speak- 

^ At the present site of Albany. 



250 The Hero of the Longhouse 

ing words of wisdom in the council of the Onon- 
dagas. Let Hiawatha eat of the bread of the 
Mohawks." 

When Hiawatha had eaten the guest bread, the 
bread of the stranger, he unfolded to Tecwihoga 
the peace message that the white shell strings 
recorded. 

But the heart of the aged chieftain was not 
yet ready to be opened to the message of Hia- 
watha. He said: "Is not each tribe supreme in 
its own land? Why should the Mohawks lose 
their ancient freedom in uniting with the other 
tribes of the Real Men?" 

For answer, Hiawatha took five arrows and 
bound them together with deer sinew. He said, 
as he tested the strength of the bundle, "This is 
the Konoshioni, the United People." Then he 
took a single arrow and said, "This is the Mo- 
hawk." Easily he snapped the shaft with his 
fingers and silently left the longhouse. 

Ganayohe, the middle stronghold of the Mo- 
hawks, stood where Canajoharie Creek finds the 
Mohawk; stood where the south trail climbs the 
hills that hold the headwaters of streams flowing 
to the Susquehanna. Rich and prosperous was 
Ganayohe. Her maize fields stretched along 
the fruitful valley of the Mohawk ; and north and 
south were game-filled forests. In the lodges of 
the village the bark barrels were overflowing ; the 
benches richly covered with pelts from the hunt- 
ing; the walls adorned with spoils of warfare. 



Through the Land of the Mohawks 251 

One morning a daughter of O-a-a-go-wa, the 
head chieftain of Ganayohe, went to the village 
spring. Lightly she came over the well-beaten 
pathway, carrying a jar on her shoulder. Sud- 
denly she stopped in amazement. By the spring- 
side a wonderful stranger was sitting, his breast 
covered over with white shell strings. For a mo- 
ment the maiden's gaze met the quiet eyes of the 
stranger; then she set down her jar and ran with 
swift feet to the longhouse of her father. 

She said: "Ihani, my Father, I have seen a 
wondrous being sitting by the spring side. His 
breast is covered with white shell strings. What 
can this mean?" 

Her father answered: "He is a runner who 
wears the white shell strings to show that he 
bears a peace message. Go forth, Kyeaha, my 
Daughter, and bid the stranger enter." So it 
was that Hiawatha came into the longhouse of 
the chieftain Oaagowa. 

But the mind of Oaagowa was closed to the 
peace message of Hiawatha. In the planting 
moon he had led his warriors into the lands of 
the Cherokee people. He had but lately returned 
to the village, bringing with him the spoils of 
warfare. Through much fighting, the heart of 
Oaagowa had become frozen. So it was that 
the chieftain's ears were closed to the great words 
of Hiawatha. 

When the next sun came, the people of Gana- 
yohe looked in vain for the wonderful stranger. 



252 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Silently he had left them, and no man knew of 
his going. 

One morning, Gawenneta, the sister of Hia- 
watha, stood in the doorway of the house of the 
Turtles and looked out on Teahtontaloga ; looked 
beyond the freshly made bark houses and saw 
her children playing at the wood's edge. Two 
hours before, Dayohogo, her husband, had left her 
for the hunting, going by the trail along the Sko- 
har-le.^ While Gawenneta stood there, the call 
of a runner sounded at the wood's edge. As she 
looked toward the west side of the village where 
the river trail emerges, she saw a stranger coming 
and marked that on his breast he wore the peace 
color. Something in the bearing of the stranger 
turned the thoughts of Gawenneta backward to 
the old days in Kanatagowa. Eagerly her eyes 
followed the newcomer till he disappeared in the 
lodge of the head chieftain. But it was as if some 
unfriendly spirit had cast a spell over the mind of 
Gawenneta that she might not recognize her 
brother. 

As the sun was descending in the west sky, 
Gawenneta sat at the wood's edge with other 
women, who, like herself, were busy with porcu- 
pine embroidery. Her companions were speak- 
ing of the stranger. They told how the clan 
chieftains had been called together to hear his 
message. One said that he was a wonderful 
being who had come from a far land toward the 

^ Schoharie Creek. 



TJirough the Land of the Mohawks 253 

sun's setting. Another said that the mysterious 
message was held in white shell strings; every 
shell in the string held a word that had been 
talked into it. The message was strange and un- 
meaning; the chieftains could not understand it. 

Even while the women were speaking, a 
strange hush fell on the village as if the people 
divined that some great event had happened. 
Children stopped their playing and scrambled to 
the roofs of the longhouses ; the old men stopped 
talking; sounds of labor ceased. The people of 
Teahtontaloga, who seven winters before had 
fled from their burning village to hide in the 
forest with their starving children, were strangely 
moved when they saw the messenger with the 
white shell strings leaving the lodge of the head 
chieftain unattended. 

Gawenneta stood with the other women and 
watched the stranger move toward the east trail. 
She said: "Surely the bearer of the white 
wampum carries a rejected message, or the chief- 
tain would have walked with him to the wood's 
edge." She was seized with a restless longing to 
follow the messenger's footsteps; she longed to 
look into his face, and to hear his voice. But now 
he had disappeared in the forest ! Her thoughts 
were filled with strange misgivings. Her mind 
was crowded with memories of the old home in 
Kanatagowa; crowded with far-away memories 
of her mother and Shawenis and White Eagle. 

So, unhonored, Hiawatha left Teahtontaloga. 



254 The Hero of the Longhouse 

He crossed the great battlefield of the Mohawks 
and Algonkins. He listened to the plaint of the 
forest that told how its footpaths were worn by 
warfare and its soil darkened with the blood of 
battle. The voice of the wide pine forest mur- 
mured the thoughts of Hiawatha: "The hearts of 
the Mohawks have become hardened with war- 
fare, and their backs are bent with its burden. 
Their minds are darkened with the lust of battle 
so that they cannot understand the words re- 
corded in the white wampum." 

As he went forward a great fear fell on Hia- 
watha. He said: "If the Mohawks reject the 
message of the Great Peace, no other tribe of the 
Real Men will listen. The peace-loving Oneidas 
will not dare to stand for it against the will of 
Atotarho; and the Cayugas and Senecas will 
close their minds against it because of hatred for 
the Onondagas." Once more he took the trail to 
the eastward. 

An aged man named Don-ya-daas was living 
at Skanehtade. One morning as Donyadaas was 
flaking arrows at the doorway of his longhouse, 
his daughter stood beside him and said: 

"Ihani, my Father, a wonderful stranger has 
entered the lodge of the chieftain. His breast is 
covered with white shell strings, but his bearing 
is dejected." 

The aged man was silent a moment; then he 
said: "Kyeaha, my Daughter, I would speak with 
this stranger." 



Through the Land of the Mohawks 255 

An hour later, Hiawatha left the lodge of the 
chieftain with a rejected message. As he turned 
into the trail along the River Skanehtade, the 
daughter of Donyadaas approached, saying: 

''Will not the great chieftain enter the lodge 
of Donyadaas, my father?" 

So Hiawatha came to the longhouse of the old 
man, who said, "lyeaha, my Son, dost thou bring 
any word to Donyadaas?" 

At once Hiawatha read the words of the wam- 
pum, the Otekoa. As he read, the face of the aged 
man became shining. When the message recorded 
in the last shell string had been given, Donyadaas 
spoke : 

"For three winters Donyadaas has awaited the 
coming of the Great Peace Message, the Kari- 
wiyo, that was promised to the Mohawks through 
a dream sent to him by the Great Ruler. Listen 
lyeaha, my Son. In his dream Donyadaas stood 
alone on the long trail at the south bank of the 
Mohawk, and his eyes were turned toward the 
sun's setting. He stood on the ancient trail of 
his Fathers, as one who waits the coming of 
runners bearing a great message. 

"While he waited, Donyadaas saw a star rise 
in the north sky and stand above the land of the 
Mohawks. The beauty of Ojishanda, the star, 
filled the heart of Donyadaas with gladness, as 
if a great word had been spoken. 

"As he looked, Donyadaas saw a second star 
rise in the west sky and move slowly toward the 



256 The Hero of the Longhouse 

sun's rising until it stood close to the first star. 
And Donyadaas marveled that a star should rise 
in the west sky. Then he saw that the land of 
the Mohawks was filled with a wonderful bright- 
ness. Donyadaas said in his dream, 'These stars 
are the messengers that I awaited.' As he spoke 
the dream passed from him. 

"Donyadaas told his vision to the dream in- 
terpreter, who promised that great tidings of 
peace should come to the Mohawks. Two runners 
should come, one from the north and one from 
the west, and each would bear the same message. 
Their coming would fill the land of the Mohawks 
with plenty and bring a blessing to their 
children." 

Hiawatha was torn by strange doubts when he 
left Skanehtade. He believed that the dream of 
Donyadaas foretold the coming of the Great 
Peace; but what did the first star rising in the 
north sky signify? Was not the dream-promise 
already lost, since the 3Iohawks rejected the 
Great Peace Message? 

In his sorrow, Hiawatha said: "Have I failed 
to understand the teachings of my clan spirit? 
If one bears a message and finds no one to receive 
it, then is the messenger ashamed to meet the 
faces of men, for he knows well that he has failed 
to wrap his message close and keep it. Surely, 
if I have missed the Word that was given, I am 
a lost one who must forever wander alone in the 
forest." 



Through the Land of the Mohaxichs 257 

So unseeing, unhearing, Hiawatha followed 
the trail that led to Gahoose. 

But the words of the Great Peace had not been 
lost. Even as Hiawatha was approaching Ga- 
hoose, there were those who spoke in secret of 
the wonderful messenger whose breast was cov- 
ered with white shell strings. Some of the chief- 
tains and wise men in each of the three strong- 
holds of the Mohawks were pondering in silence 
the words of wisdom spoken by Hiawatha. 

Two scouts of Atotarho had followed Hia- 
watha from village to village. The next sun after 
he left Skanehtade they entered Kanatagowa and 
said to Atotarho: 

"We have seen Hiawatha leave each one of 
the JNIohawk strongholds unattended and unhon- 
ored. We left him walking along the Skaneh- 
tade like a warrior blinded by a heavy blow in 
battle." 

Atotarho asked, "Did you not follow to Ga- 
hoose?" 

They answered, "Small is Gahoose and its 
chieftain, Da-ga-no-w^e-da, is a stranger." 

The face of Atotarho darkened as he answered: 
"Do not the Real Men fill their houses with the 
strongest people from every nation? Where is 
there a tribe from whom they have not adopted 
captives? Daganoweda was a stranger; but he 
is filled with magic, and already he is a chieftain 
and a powerful leader. The JNIohawks believe 



258 The Hero of the Longhouse 

that he is taught by the Great Sph'it. They say 
that the sacrificial fire of Daganoweda is more 
powerful than the council brand. Who shall say 
that the message is rejected, when Hiawatha has 
yet to meet Daganoweda? 



CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT 

THE MOHAWKS LISTEN TO THE GREAT PEACE 

The next sun Hiawatha stood where the Mo- 
hawk, the river of his people, turns southward to 
find the waters of the Great Sea at the Sun's 
Rising. 

He saw the wide forest sweeping southward; 
saw the distant blue mountains; felt the roaring 
of the waters, and saw them leaping downward 
and hurrying forward to meet the Skanehtade; 
and his heart was moved with the wonder of 
beauty, as he looked on this work of Hawenniyu, 
the Great Wisdom. 

Close at hand was the village of Gahoose. As 
he stood there, Hiawatha saw a man advancing 
from the village to meet him. "This is a strange 
thing," he thought. "I have uttered no call; but 
some one approaches as if he had awaited my 
coming." 

Hiawatha wondered at the noble freedom of 
the stranger's bearing, for he moved like one rich 
in the gifts of life. His face was handsome, and 
the eyes that looked into the face of Hiawatha 
were clear and far-seeing. But when the stranger 
made his greeting, Hiawatha saw that his tongue 
halted, and that he was unused to the language 
of the JNIohawk people. 

Hiawatha said, "I am Hiawatha, the bearer of 
the wampum token." 

The man answered, "Daganoweda welcomes 



260 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Hiawatha, and his ears are open to the message 
that he carries." 

Then Hiawatha knew that this was that seeker 
for peace of whom Jigonsasa had spoken. Full 
of wonder, Hiawatha read the white-shell 
strings. When he had finished, he saw that Da- 
ganoweda listened as one who understood the 
Great Peace from the beginning. 

In that moon a strange message spread 
through the land of the Mohawks. It was whis- 
pered by the leaves of the forest. It was breathed 
by Oah, the wind, as he passed through the wood- 
land; and all the summer birds sang it as they 
flew through the opens. It said: "The bearer of 
the white wampum is in the village of Gahoose. 
He dwells in honor with Daganoweda, the wise 
chieftain of the Turtles, and much they counsel 
together." 

In those suns when Daganoweda and Hia- 
watha talked together of the Great Law of the 
United People, a large bark canoe was swiftly 
skimming the southern shores of Ontario. Its 
course was toward the sun's rising. 

Within the canoe sat Jigonsasa, the Peace 
Queen of the Neutrals. Beside her was a woman 
of the House of Peace, and there were four 
strong men at the paddles. 

Across Ontario, the Beautiful Lake, like a 
strong white bird, the canoe of Jigonsasa came 
flying. Sun after sun it moved eastward like 



The Mohawks Listen to the Great Peace 261 

some eager living creature. It entered the mouth 
of the Oswego; it touched the shores at the falls 
of the river. Between the forested banks of the 
Oswego, the canoe of Jigonsasa glided south- 
ward; it swam the Lake of the Oneidas and en- 
tered the creek, Ka-ne-go-dick.^ It was carried 
lightly across the portage and placed on the ^lo- 
hawk. Following the river in its course toward 
the sun's rising, it came to the falls at Gahoose. 
Here the great canoe rested. 

That moon a new message of wonder spread 
quickly among the Mohawks. It said: "Jigon- 
sasa, the Great ^lother of Nations, is come 
among us! She is dwelling at Gahoose in the 
house of Daganoweda. She is in the lodge that 
shelters the bearer of the white wampum. Surely 
this is a marvelous thing!" 

Then messengers hurried over the main foot- 
paths to every town and village of the Mohawks. 
They carried the painted sticks that summoned a 
meeting: "In three suns the Mohawks will meet 
in council at Ganayohe. It is Daganoweda that 
invites them." 

From all the towns of the Mohawks, the people 
flocked to the council. The aged and feeble came 
leaning on their staffs ; women came with young 
babes looking out from the cradle-boards; 
maidens, children, youths, warriors and chief- 
tains — all came, crowding the paths that led into 
Ganayohe. They came two by two or in groups 

^ Woods Creek. 



262 The Hero of the Longhouse 

that were strangely silent, for all the people 
awaited some event of wonder. Soon the 
council place was filled; the women on one side, 
the men on the other. 

The eyes of the people were divided. Many 
sought the face of Jigonsasa, the Queen of the 
Neutrals, where, erect and noble, she sat at the 
front of the women. In wonder and reverence 
they gazed on her who was descended from the 
first mother, Ataensic. The women turned their 
children's faces to look on Jigonsasa, for they 
wished the eyes of their children to hold the image 
of the Great Mother of Nations. But the people 
looked most on Hiawatha, the bearer of the white 
wampum, for they knew that he would give the 
great message of the council. 

Tecwihoga, the eldest sachem of the Mohawks, 
arose and lighted the council fire. From the 
sacred council brand he lighted Ahsoquata, the 
peace pipe. Placing it to his lips, he drew the 
smoke through the long stem. Then he lifted the 
pipe, with the blue rings of smoke curling up- 
ward from bowl and mouthpiece, and offered a 
prayer of thanksgiving to the JNIastt. of Life. 

He offered thanks to the earth where men 
dwell; to the streams of water, the pools, the 
springs and the lakes; to the maize and the 
fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the 
forest trees for their usefulness; to the animals 
that serve as food and give their pelts for cloth- 
ing; to the great winds and the lesser winds; 




The meeting of Hiawatha, Daganoweda, and Jigonsasa 
at the Falls of Gahoose 



264 The Hero of the Longhouse 

to Heno, the thunderer ; to Kagagwa, the sun, the 
mighty warrior ; to the messengers of the Creator 
who reveal his wishes. Last of all he gave 
thanks to the Great Creator who dwells in the 
heavens above ; who gives all the things useful to 
men, and who is the source and the ruler of health 
and life. Like all the Real Men, the Mohawks in 
their thanksgiving began with the humblest life 
and climbed upward and upward until they 
reached the Great Wisdom. 

When the brief prayer was ended, Tecwihoga 
placed the pipe to his lips and blew the smoke of 
Ahsoquata to the eastward and the southward, 
to the westward and the northward — toward 
the four corners of the earth he blew the smoke 
of peace. Then he bent his head and blew the 
sacred smoke downward toward the fruitful 
earth, Yoanja; last of all he blew it upward 
toward Otshata, the sky, in praise of the Great 
Ruler. 

Advancing to Jigonsasa, the Peace Queen, 
Tecwihoga said: "Will the Great Mother of Na- 
tions smoke the peace pipe with her Mohawk 
children?" The Yegowaneh, the Great Woman, 
took the pipe, and, holding it in her hands for a 
moment, drew a breath of smoke from the sacred 
tobacco. After that Hiawatha blew the smoke 
upward. Then it was passed to the chieftains and 
wise men. 

When the smoke of the peace pipe had as- 
cended, Tecwihoga arose, and, addressing Hia- 



Tlie Mohawks Listen to the Great Peace 265 

watha, said: "My Brother, thou art welcome to 
the council fire of the Mohawks. Thou comest 
to us with a gi'cat message. The ears of the 
people are open to receive it." 

Holding the white shell strings in his hands, 
Hiawatha arose ; through his face shone the light 
that comes from the sky world. He said: "My 
Brothers, I am come to bring to you Kariwiyo, 
the Great Peace, that shall fill your lodges with 
plenty and bless your children in future ages. 

"The Mohawks are proud because they are 
Real Men. But they have forgotten that the 
greatest glory of the Real ^len was achieved 
in their battles for freedom. 3Iy Brothers, long 
ago the Real !Men became a great ^^eople because 
Hagwedij^u led them. They prospered in those 
ancient days. On the hills of Onondaga, every 
sachem saw the founding of a new village, so 
rapidly did the people multiply. 

"Then the Real Men lighted separate council 
fires, distant from each other; they forgot the 
language of the Ancient Fathers, and their hearts 
became strangers to each other. In those winters 
the strength of the Real INIen was divided. JNIany 
suns have passed over the divided people. And 
now clan brothers have turned their weapons 
against each other, and the power of the Real 
Men is broken." 

Hiawatha took five arrows and bound them 
firmly together, then he continued : "Let us now 
combine all the, power of the separate nations 



266 The Hero of the Longhouse 

into one j^ower. With deer sinew, we have bound 
the five arrows together into a bundle which no 
one can bend or break. Each arrow stands for 
one of the tribes of the Real Men. If one arrow 
is taken, the bundle will be weakened. It will be 
still worse if two are taken. If three are taken, 
the bundle may easily be broken. And what is the 
strength of one, apart from the four others? So 
it will be with the United People ; so it is with the 
single tribe that stands apart from the others. 

"Listen, my Brothers, let the tribes of the Real 
Men bury their warlike weapons deep beneath 
the tallest pine tree — the pine tree whose five 
needles represent the union of the tribes; let 
them cover their weapons of warfare forever. 

"Let the Real JNIen build a great Longhouse 
where they can dwell together as clan brothers. 
The eastern door of that Longhouse shall be at 
the River Skanehtade, and its western door shall 
look down on the Gennisheyo. In that mighty 
Longhouse, five fires shall be lighted, one fire 
kept by each Brother. Like clan brothers, let 
them light a common council fire where together 
they shall determine those things that belong to 
all of the LTnited People. In times of trouble and 
danger, let them come together at one council 
brand. Let no tribe enter warfare apart from 
the others. If any nation shall come against 
them, let the five brothers stand together. Thus 
will each Brother hold the strength of the four 
others. So shall the Real Men again become a 



The Mohawks Listen to the Great Peace 267 

United People. My Brothers, let the Mohawks 
listen to the words of the Great Peace, the Ka- 
riwiyo." 

Then Hiawatha read the words of the Great 
Peace recorded in the white shell strings; read 
them slowly and clearly, so that all could receive 
the message. Surely the words of Hiawatha 
reached the hearts of the listening people, for he 
spoke as one who has wrapped his message close 
and carried it for many winters. 

In the long silence that followed, Jigonsasa 
arose and looked with kindly eyes into the faces 
of the j^eople. She said : "Radixaa, my Children, 
for many winters Jigonsasa has dwelt in Kien- 
ika, the House of Peace. ]\Iany sad and bur- 
dened ones come to the Peace Queen; come to 
find safety from the avenger who follows. Their 
mouths are filled with words of confusion. Their 
eyes are darkened by fear and hatred, so that 
they have lost sight of the sky world. When they 
lift their eyes toward the Great Ruler, when they 
open their hearts to the light sent down by the 
Master of Life, they are loosed from their 
troubles. 

"My Children, listen to the words of the Great 
INIother. You are burdened and troubled; your 
little ones are silent and fearful ; your women are 
bowed with labor and sorrow. Truly, the Mo- 
hawks are bent under the heaAy burden of war- 
fare. Listen, my Children, to the teachings of 
the Great JNIother. Wrap the words of the Great 



268 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Peace in your hearts and ponder them in silence. 
Become the first to will a United People, that 
the Master of Life may look upon you in kind- 
ness and bless your children for many genera- 
tions. Xaho. I have spoken." 

The words of Jigonsasa, spoken with au- 
thority, found a place in the hearts of her Mo- 
hawk children. 

When the chiefs had consulted together, they 
made answer to Hiawatha through the aged Tec- 
wihoga. He said: "My Brother, the Mohawks 
have listened to the words of the Great Peace 
that Hiawatha has brought them, and they find 
them very good. 'The JNIohawks will consider 
the message of their brother. Let Hiawatha re- 
turn on the next summer's day^ and receive their 
answer." 

Two suns later Jigonsasa left Gahoose. As 
she stood on the bank of the Mohawk where her 
canoe was waiting, she said to Hiawatha: "Ji- 
gonsasa will meet Hiawatha at the place of dan- 
ger." With this promise, the Great Mother 
departed. 

^ The next vear. 



CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE 

THE GREAT NORTHERN HUNTING 

Even as the canoe of Jigonsasa left Gahoose, 
Atotarho was listening to a message from two 
of his swiftest runners who had journeyed by 
night and day to bring news of the Mohawk 
council. As he listened, Atotarho saw clearly 
that if the Mohawks accej^ted the Great Peace, 
the Oneidas would almost surely follow and leave 
him without allies. Before the canoe of Jigon- 
sasa reached Lake Ontario, he had dispatched 
two of his most skillful scouts to dog the foot- 
steps of Hiawatha and kill him in secret. 

No one knew so well as Atotarho the difficulty 
and danger of that commission. In Dagano- 
weda, Hiawatha had a powerful defender. The 
eyes of Daganoweda were sleepless, and they 
were as keen and far-sighted as the eyes of 
Oteanyea, the eagle. All this was known to 
Atotarho. He knew, too, that the Mohawks, 
Iiaving pledged themselves in council to consider 
the Great Peace, would during that year keep 
themselves from warfare and hold the person of 
Hiawatha sacred. The ascending smoke of Ahso- 
quata, the peace pipe, had carried their words to 
the Great Spirit; no Ileal Man ever forgot the 
pledge made while the smoke of Ahsoquata as- 
cended. The Mohawks would be incorruptible, 
and they would avenge the death of Hiawatha 
while he was their tribal guest. 

Immediately after the peace council, the Mo- 



270 The Hero of the Longhouse 

hawks renewed their treaties with their neigh- 
bors northward and eastward and southward; 
for this year, while they were considering the 
Great Peace, their warriors would be hunters. 

When the hunting month came, there was un- 
wonted stir in the towns of the Mohawks. Every 
able-bodied man armed himself with a strong 
bow and a well-filled quiver of arrows ; every one 
was equipped with stout moccasins and snow- 
shoes, and with high leggings and the warm deer- 
skin coat, ready for the great northern hunting. 
Never in the memory of the most aged, had the 
people seen such an army of hunters leave for the 
forests. The women became eager in the work of 
parching corn and preparing clothing and camp- 
ing outfits; many of the strongest of them joined 
the expedition. 

In one of the hunting parties that took its way 
northward were Hiawatha and Daganoweda. 
The great northern hunting trail led through the 
beautiful valley of the upper Skanehtade. There 
the ancient forests were in the possession of the 
bear and wildcat, the wolf and lynx, the deer, 
the beaver, and the muskrat. The mountains 
eastward and northward were the nesting places 
of eagles; the wooded lakes were the homes of 
the wild swan, the heron, and countless flocks of 
wild geese and ducks; there was no hunting 
ground richer in fish and game, and none so 
matchless in beauty. The party of Daganoweda 
took a trail that led them to the healing springs 



The Great Nortliern Hunting 271 

of Shar-la-to-ga' where their evening campfire 
was lighted. Here they ate venison that was 
brought by the young men from the lakeside, 
and they talked about the healing waters. 

The next day they moved forward to the falls 
of the Skanehtade," where they camped again. 
The old hunting lodges there were quickly 
cleared of dead leaves, and fresh boughs were 
laid. Soon the cheerful light of campfires 
gleamed over the foaming waters of the Skaneh- 
tade and fought with shadows at the edge of the 
forest. 

Still keeping the great nortliern trail, they left 
the river the next day and came to Lake Andia- 
ta-roc-ta,'' where they found many hunting lodges 
and where they erected new ones. A part of the 
company were already camped near the western 
bend of the Skanehtade. 

At once the w^ork of the winter hunting be- 
gan. Parties entered the dense forests broken 
only by the well-beaten trails of wild creatures 
that made the lake their drinking place. At tlie 
end of the first day of hunting a score of deer 
were brought in, and the work of preserving meat 
and skin was begun by the women. 

In the early days of the hunting, Dagano- 
weda's watch-care over Hiawatha was redoubled, 
for he knew that in the great northern forest a 
lurking spy would have every advantage. 

^ Saratoga. * The present site of Glens Falls. 

^ Lake George. 



272 The Hero of the Longhouse 

One day as O-gas-aa, the evening, began to 
darken the woodlands and the hunters gathered 
about the campfires to hsten to the evening story 
telhng, Hiawatha heard close at hand in the for- 
est the low call of Sohont, the turkey, followed 
by the soft cluck of Kawesea, the partridge. A 
moment later he stood within the darkened wood, 
and beside him were Sosondoweh and Dawey- 
ongo. In tones as low as the voice of Neoga, the 
south wind, Hiawatha said: 

"The pleasant voices of Hiawatha's friends 
call to him from the forest; will they come and 
sit at the fireside of their Mohawk brothers?" 

They answered: "Let' Sosondoweh and Da- 
weyongo talk with Hia ha where the friendly 
darkness of Soa, the ni^., is about them." 

Then Hiawatha qu 3ned: "My Brothers 
bring news from the I house of the Turtles 
in Kanatagowa?" 

They answered: "Th re is a goodly light in 
the longhouse of the Turtle, and the ears of Ai- 
jah, wife of Daweyongo, are filled with the pleas- 
ant voices of her children." 

For a moment there was silence, then Hia- 
watha said: "This speech of Sosondoweh and 
Daweyongo is as music, for good are the words 
they have spoken. Let my Brothers uncover 
their message, for the ears of Hiawatha are 
open." 

Then Sosondoweh spoke: "Seven suns ago 
two birds of darkness left the lodge of Atotarho 



The Great Northern Hunting 273 

and flew toward the sun's rising. Silently as 
Ohowa, the night bird, wings his way through the 
forest, they followed the Mohawk company 
northward. Now they hover about the hunting 
parties of the JMohawks. When Hiawatha goes 
out to follow Skanondo, the deer, they noiselessly 
flit about his pathway. When they can approach 
close enough to reach Hiawatha with Kajawa, 
the war club that leaves no trace of the slayer, 
they will swoop down swiftly and strike him." 

Hiawatha answered: "Hiawatha will wrap 
the message of his Brothers closely. Let Soson- 
doweh and Daweyongo return to their people 
with quiet hearts, for liawatha is guarded by 
the sleepless eyes of ganoweda — eyes that 
see farther than the t of Atotarho, for they 
are filled with light fr the sky world." 

The next sun Do-w h and 0-sa-ha, the two 
spies of Atotarho, fled astward, for they knew 
by a sense as keen as thv't of Jitso, the fox, that 
their presence was known to the Mohawks. 
Where could they flee ? The hunting trail south- 
ward was too dangerous. They must trust to the 
unbroken wilderness for protection. 

For seven suns the fugitive spies made their 
way through the thicketed forest that covered 
the hills dividing the waters of the Skanehtade 
and the Rapid River. With moccasins and stout 
leggings torn by that fight with the almost im- 
penetrable woodland, they were in deadly peril 
from Saista, the serpent, too sleepy with cold to 



274 The Hero of the Longhouse 

warn them with liis rattle; in peril from the 
stealthy approach of Dajoji, the panther, and 
from the hungry wolf, Hotyone. But they were 
in greater peril from the Mohawks, who hotly 
pursued them. At length their trail was covered 
from their baffled enemies; but they dared not 
light a fire to guard their restless slumber ; dared 
not kill or cook the game all about them. 

At last the two spies reached a fair mountain 
lake where the Mohawks sometimes came to track 
beaver.^ Here they cooked fl^esh for the first time. 
Without further pause in their flight, they fol- 
lowed the obscure trails along the eastern 
branches of the Skanehtade, and, scouting the 
north bank of the Mohawk, they reached their 
own land in safety. 

Silently Atotarho listened to their story. 
When it was ended he said: "Sosondoweh and 
Daweyongo have been absent from Kanatagowa. 
They are swift runners, and their eyes are un- 
sleeping. They have followed the scouts of Ato- 
tarho and warned the JNIohawks. It is not well 
that Mohawk ears should hear the words spoken 
in the lodge of Atotarho. Let the tongues of 
Sosondoweh and Daweyongo be silenced." 

Five suns later an empty canoe tossed and 
drifted on the waters of Ontario, and never again 
did the swift feet of Sosondoweh and Daweyongo 
fly over the wood paths in the service of Hia- 
watha. 

^ Lake St. Catherine. 



CHAPTER THIRTY 

ON THE HEAD OF THE TURTLE 

The news that Atotarho had sent spies among 
them stirred the Mohawk people to deep resent- 
ment, and it turned their hearts toward Hia- 
watha. When they saw that Hiawatha was a 
great hunter, that he was wise and sagacious in 
council, that his heart was so hig that he lived 
like a father among them, they sought to give him 
honor. When the New Year came they made 
him a chieftain. 

Then Hiawatha went to live with his sister 
Gawenneta whom he had now found once more 
at Teahtontaloga. The people of Teahtonta- 
loga knew that the heart of Hiawatha was as 
wide as the heavens; and the humblest among 
them did not fear to call him brother. 

During that winter as Hiawatha counseled 
with Daganoweda,.all doubt and impatience fell 
from him forever. He appeared like one who 
runs fearlessly because he feels the strong earth 
beneath him and knows that above are shining 
the stars that will guide his feet on the unknown 
trail. 

In the planting moon the Mohawks met to 
consider their answer to the message of Hia- 
watha. In that council Oaagowa, the head chief- 
tain of Ganayohe, spoke. He said: "My Brothers, 
many are the foes of the ^Mohawks. They are 
watching us at the sun's rising. Often they have 
driven us backward from the great river Skan- 

275 



276 The Hero of the Longhouse 

ehtade. While our people are fighting the Real 
Men toward the sun's setting, the foes at the 
sun's rising swim the River Skanehtade, burn 
the homes of our absent warriors, waste our maize 
fields, and make captives our women and chil- 
dren. 

"Listen, my Brothers. We have foes to the 
southward ; and to the northward are our ancient 
enemies, the Algonkins, who fearlessly trespass 
on our northern hunting ground. Surely the 
Mohawks would be more secure in their lands if 
they held the strength of a United People, if 
there were Four Brothers behind them ready 
to join in their battle." 

But there were warriors filled with the lust 
for blood. They asked: "Why should the Mo- 
hawks join in a confederation that will keep them 
from the warpath? Always the Mohawks will 
have their own grievances to settle." 

Immediately the aged Tecwihoga answered: 
"In the avenging of just grievances, the Four 
Brothers will fight beside the Mohawks even as 
clansmen fight together. Has not Hagwediyu, 
the Good Mind, taught the Real Men to live to- 
gether as brothers? And has not the dream 
promise sent to Donyadaas foretold the coming 
of Daganoweda and of Hiawatha; foretold the 
coming of this peace message that will bless the 
people? Surely the Mohawks will not turn from 
such a dream-promise." 

At the beginning of the fawn moon, Hia- 



On the Head of the Turtle 277 

watha was given answer: "The Mohawks have 
considered the great message of their brother 
Hiawatha, and they find it good. They are will- 
ing to enter the Longhouse of the Five Brothers. 
They will stand at the sunrise door of the Long- 
house and faithfully guard it." 

Two winters passed while the Great Message 
was carried to each of the Four Brothers of the 
Mohawks. 

The Oneidas and the Cayugas had joined with 
the Mohawks in founding a single Longhouse. 
Then, one morning when the maize was knee 
high in the fields, Hiawatha received from the 
hands of Gawenneta the sustaining ]3arched corn 
and turned his feet toward the southern hunting 
path. As he left the village, his quick eye noted 
a strange warrior standing close to the Great 
Central Trail. The image of the newcomer 
stayed in Hiawatha's mind as he ran lightly 
along the well-trodden footpath southward. 
Surely he had seen that powerful warrior in 
action, had seen him deftly wield Kajawa, the 
war club; but where, he could not remember. 

Two hours later, Hiawatha stood on a dizzy 
height among the O-nis-ka-thaw Mountains^ that 
look down on the wide country sloping to the 
Skanehtade. He was on the head of the Great 
Turtle. As he stood there, gazing over the vast 
forests below him, his thought took in the whole 
fair land of the Real Men, and he exulted in its 

^ The Helderberg INIountains. 



:278 The Hero of the Longhousc 

beauty. How would it be when that glorious 
land belonged to an undivided people? That 
very moon a delegation from the three united 
tribes, the Oneidas and Cayugas and Mohawks, 
would visit the Seneca people. 

The scenes at the meetings with the Oneidas 
and Cayugas passed swiftly before the mind of 
Hiawatha. Again he stood on the hill of the 
Oneidas and Daganoweda and Jigonsasa were 
beside him. He saw the council fire burning be- 
side the great stone, the O-ni-a. He remembered 
how the Mother of Nations touched the sacred 
stone in reverent wonder, for the great stone, the 
Onia, was the altar of the people. It silently 
spoke to them of the Great Ruler's watch-care. 
The keepers of the faith told them how, unas- 
sisted by human hands, it had followed the Onei- 
das from one village site to another. They be- 
lieved that no calamity could befall the tribe 
while the Onia was with them. 

A look of sorrow passed over the face of Hia- 
watha as he recalled the people who gathered 
in that council. Where were the youths whom he 
had met as a boy at the Deosongwa, the Deep 
Basin Spring? Where were the young men who 
had come to Kanatagowa for memorable ball 
games? They had perished on the warpath or 
were captives, while strangers sat in their places. 
The children of the Oneidas looked sober and 
aged. The women were old in their youth, and 
they were bent with labor. The faces of the aged, 



On the Head of the Turtle 279 

deep-lined with heavy care, were full of sorrow 
as they heard the words of the Great Peace, for 
well they knew that the war lust of Atotarho was 
destroying the People of the Stone. Neverthe- 
less, there were many warriors who listened as if 
Gus-ta-ote, the spirit of the rock, possessed them. 

He had seen that the Oneidas were torn by 
two opinions. Many were filled with fear or 
hatred of the message. They said: "This mes- 
sage will yet bring disaster to us, for now that 
the Mohawks have accepted the Great Peace, 
thej'^ will no longer aid the Oneidas in warfare. 
The People of the Stone cannot listen to the 
message, for it will bring on them the vengeance 
of Atotarho." 

Others said that the peace movement was an 
omen of great good for all of the Real Men, and 
these prevailed in the council. The Oneidas 
promised to consider the Great Peace. 

Hiawatha recalled how a year later, when the 
deer in the forest were calling softly to their 
young fawns, the peace messengers had threaded 
the westward trail and again climbed the hill of 
the Oneidas. There, beside the mysterious Onia, 
they had received the answer of the Oneidas: 
"The Great Stone People accept the peace mes- 
sage. They will join with their brothers, the Mo- 
hawks, in the building of the Longhouse of the 
United People." 

There had been great rejoicing among the 
Mohawks over that union with the Oneidas. Ages 



280 The Hero of the Longhouse 

before, the Oneidas had gone out from the Mo- 
hawks, built a separate council fire, and become 
the Younger Brother of the Mohawks. Now the 
Mohawks were reunited with this Younger 
Brother. The old men said it was a good omen 
that the tribe nearest of kin should be the first to 
come into the Longhouse with the JNIohawks. 

The signal call of a hunter brought the mind 
of Hiawatha back to his immediate surround- 
ings. He listened for a moment to the sounds of 
life in the forest. From the mountain side, far 
below, he heard the occasional calls of a company 
of boy hunters who were scaling the dizzy heights 
by steps of projecting rock layers. While he 
listened, Hiawatha took his bow as if to follow 
the deer; but the bow shpped from his idle hand, 
even as his thoughts flew back again to the past. 

Now he was far away in Ge-wa-ga, the strong- 
hold of the Cayugas that looked out on Cayuga 
Lake. He visioned the people flocking to the 
council. Some came from Ne-o-dak-he-at,^ at 
the head of Lake Cayuga. Some threaded the 
deer-filled forests eastward and crossed Lake 
Cayuga in their canoes to reach the place of 
council. With what wonder the people looked 
on the white wampum that held the words of 
confederation! They gazed on Daganoweda 
and the Peace Queen as if they saw messengers 
from the sky world; and the women were glad 
if the hands of their little ones but touched the 

^ At the present site of Ithaca. 



On the Head of the Turtle 281 

deerskin garments of Jigonsasa, the Great 
Mother. 

In the council, the Cayugas pointed to the great 
peril of their position between the warring Sen- 
ecas and Onondagas. But the wisest answered 
that the Neutral Nation had maintained itself in 
such a position while it kept from the warpath; 
and what people was more prosperous than the 
Neutrals? Last of all, they said that long ago 
Ga-da-gwa-sa, an aged chieftain, had foretold 
the coming of a great peace council of which 
their children should be told through many gen- 
erations. 

So the Cayugas determined to consider the 
message recorded in the white shell strings. At 
the end of a year they pledged themselves to 
unite with the Oneidas and Mohawks. 

As a twig snapped near at hand, Hiawatha's 
mind turned suddenly to the present. He stood 
fixed like a statue; but eye and ear were keenly 
active, and every muscle was ready for action. 
There was a crash behind him. Hiawatha turned 
instantly. Ten paces distant lay the fallen body 
of Dowago, spy of Atotarho. From the steep 
pathway below came the sound of flying foot- 
steps. Quickly Hiawatha gained the shoulder 
of the mountain and looked downward. Thirty 
paces below he saw Osaha fleeing, the pursuer 
close behind him. And the pursuer was the 
stranger who that morning had stood on the 
Central Trail at Teahtontaloga. A moment 



282 21ie Hero of the Longhouse 

later Hiawatha heard a loud challenge given 
and answered. It was followed by the sound of a 
descending war club. Then all was silent. 

Quickly Hiawatha returned to the top of the 
mountain and hid himself where he could see the 
body of the fallen Onondaga. Soon he heard 
footsteps. Then the strange warrior ap- 
proached the dead Dowago and stood for a mo- 
ment in silence above the body. It was Aodog- 
weh, banished long ago from Onondaga for mur- 
der; Aodogweh, whom Hiawatha had met last in 
ambush after the burning of Nantasasis. 

As Aodogweh moved to turn away, Hia- 
watha stepped from cover and silently faced him 
for a moment. Then Hiawatha spoke: "Many 
winters ago White Eagle hunted beside Aodog- 
weh and fought with him in mimic warfare. Once 
since then have Aodogweh and Hiawatha met. 
There was no vow of friendship between them; 
but now Aodogweh defends Hiawatha even as 
one fights for another whom he calls friend." 

The deep -lined face of Aodogweh quivered 
with emotion as he answered : "Long ago in Kan- 
atagowa a vow of friendship was spoken between 
Aodogweh and Daweyongo. In a far-off land, 
it was whispered in the ear of Aodogweh, the 
exile, that Daweyongo had fallen by the hands 
of Dowago and Osaha. It was forbidden Aodog- 
weh to walk the land of the Onondagas, so he 
came to the land of the jMohawks to carry out his 
vengeance. He knew well that Atotarho would 





"It was Aodogweh, banished long ago . . . for murder" 



284 The Hero of the Longhouse 

send his two best spies to watch Hiawatha; he 
knew that Dowago and Osaha would haunt the 
trail of Hiawatha without sleeping. So for the 
moons of two winters Aodogweh has shadowed 
the footsteps of Hiawatha, watching for the com- 
ing of the slayers of Daweyongo. Aodogweh 
has met his enemies and killed them ; now he will 
depart from the land of the Mohawks." 

The banished Onondaga turned as if to go, 
then stopped to face Hiawatha for a moment 
longer. He said: "Have not the spies of Ato- 
tarho struck down the kinsfolk of Hiawatha and 
slain his sworn friend, Sosondoweh? Why does 
not the powerful chieftain seek vengeance?" 

Hiawatha answered without passion, "There is 
a better way to vanquish Atotarho." 



CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE 

AT NUNDAWAO 

Far away in the Seneca country, on the Great 
HilP that overlooks the blue waters of Lake Can- 
andaigua, stood Nundawao, the ancient seat of 
the Seneca people. On that bare height was the 
tribal altar, where for countless generations the 
people had worshiped. There was the sacred 
council brand, and there the beacon fire was 
lighted when sudden danger threatened. The 
ancient fathers could remember no home before 
it; so they called themselves the People of the 
Great Hill. 

The scouts and messengers of the Great Hill 
People traveled far. They went eastward among 
the other tribes of the Iroquois. They went 
southward to the populous country of the Chero- 
kees. They went westward and northward to 
the lands of the Eries and Neutrals and Hurons. 
From their high seat at Nundawao, the Great 
Hill People looked far about them, and they lis- 
tened to messages that were brought from many 
tribes. 

On the highest point of the Great Hill, the 
council fire was lighted, and wide around it the 
people were gathered. A weighty message had 
reached Nundawao. It told the Seneca people 
that their allies, the Cayugas, had accepted the 
Great Peace. Even as the Senecas deliberated 
over this message, a bird^ whispered in the ear of 

' Bare Hill, near Naples, New York. ^ A messenger. 

285 



286 The Hero of the Longhouse 

the chieftain Kan-ye-da-re-yo that Hiawatha and 
the other messengers of the Three Nations were 
aj^proaching Xundawao. 

That same sun, in her canoe, came Jigonsasa, 
the Peace Queen. At once messengers were dis- 
patched to summon the Senecas to council. 

The next day Hiawatha stood on Xundawao 
and looked far away to the foot of Lake Canan- 
daigua. He saw many canoes skimming the 
lake, and all were moving toward Xundawao. 
From the wide valley westward that was check- 
ered with maize-filled opens, the Seneca people 
were climbing the broad slopes of the Great Hill. 
The place of council on the wide hilltop was 
crowded, and still the people were coming. 

Hiawatha had never looked on so numerous a 
gathering. JNIany of the men proudly wore the 
heron feather, and their belts were fringed w^ith 
scalp locks. Fair were the maidens in their fresh 
deerskin garments ; courageous were the faces of 
the youths. Truly the Great Hill People showed 
that they were rich in maize fields and adven- 
turous in war. Xevertheless, Hiawatha saw that 
their backs were bent under the burden of war- 
fare. Among them were captives from many 
peoples, and he knew well that these filled the 
places of lost warriors and kinsfolk. 

When, at the council, the smoke of Ahsoquata 
had been blown to the four corners of the earth, 
the Mother of X^ations arose and addressed the 
Seneca people. 



At Nundawao 287 

She said: "Radixaa, my Children, when the 
Great Hill People lighted their first council fire 
on Nundawao, its flame leaped high in sign that 
the Great Ruler was pleased with His children. 
They assembled about the leaping fire and gave 
thanks for their beautiful hunting grounds, for 
the guarding hills and fruitful valleys and rivers, 
and for Lake Canandaigua with its peaceful 
waters. 

"And the Master of Life loved the Great Hill 
People and sent game to their forests and fish to 
their lakes and streams that they might dwell in 
peace and plenty forever. 

"Then a great calamity befell the people of the 
Great Hill. A Two-Headed Serpent, the Ka- 
is-to-wan-ea, appeared among them. The war- 
riors fed the strange creature until it grew to be 
a monster that devoured the game in their forests 
and brought upon them starvation. 

At last the tribe, in dread of the monster, de- 
termined to leave the Great Hill and flee to a 
place of safety. But when the next sun came, 
they found that the Two-Headed Serpent had 
encircled the Great Hill and lay with its two sets 
of jaws extended before the gateway of the vil- 
lage. 

"Then it was that a dream was sent to Ha- 
ja-no, a youthful warrior, commanding him to 
make an arrow fledged with the hair of his 
mother and go forth against the Serpent. 

"When that arrow reached the heart of the 



288 The Hero of the Longhouse 

Monster he fled into the deep waters of Canan- 
daigua and perished. 

"My Children, your Fathers have taught you 
in this story of the Two-Headed Serpent that 
people are destroyed when they become divided 
and war on each other. Truly the Two-Headed 
Serpent is destroying the Real Men. For many 
years the monster has wasted with one head the 
hunting grounds of the Real Men, while with the 
other it has devoured the warriors and women 
and children. 

"Listen, Radixaa. Your Fathers have taught 
you in this story that the power of Rong-we and 
Young-we, the power of man and woman, must 
be united if this monster of warfare is to be van- 
quished. To the strength of the man must be 
joined the forgiving heart of the woman. For 
the Great Serpent of War flees to his caves of 
darkness when brother meets brother in forgive- 
ness. This is the wisdom that for many ages the 
Great Mothers of Jigonsasa have taught the na- 
tions. This is the wisdom of the Great Peace. 
Naho. I have spoken." 

The People of the Hill listened to these words 
of the Mother of Nations devoutly, for they 
knew her authority and wisdom. 

One after another, the messengers of the Three 
Nations arose and spoke weighty words inviting 
the Senecas at Nundawao to unite with the Three 
Brothers in confederation. Deep was the silence 
on the Great Hill while the people listened to the 



At Nundawao 289 

speech of Hiawatha. He said: "We invite our 
Seneca brothers to become the keepers of the 
western door of the Longhouse. Their two chief 
warriors shall stand at the great black door 
through which all good and evil messages must 
come to reach the United Council. If any person 
or nation has a matter to lay before the United 
Council, it must come through this door. If the 
People of the Great Hill accept this message, the 
war power of the Konoshioni, the United People, 
will be in their hands. If the Four Brothers war 
with any other nation, the Senecas shall be the 
leaders in defense of the Longhouse." 

That same sun the Great Hill People gave 
this answer to the messengers of the Three Na- 
tions: "The Senecas at Nundawao have wrapped 
the words of the Great Peace in their hearts. Let 
their brothers return on the next smnmer day and 
receive the answer." 

The Seneca people were a great tree with two 
branches. One branch was lifted over Nunda- 
wao; the other stretched across the Gennisheyo 
and covered the Seneca town of the chieftain 
Sha-de-kar-on-yes. 

Two suns after the council at Nundawao, the 
peace messengers departed. They crossed the 
Gennisheyo, the River of the Beautiful Valley, 
and sat down with Shadekaronyes and his peo- 
ple. At the end of the council, Shadekaronyes 
gave his answer. His people would unite with 
their brothers of Nundawao in considering the 
words of the Great Peace. 



290 The Hero of tlic Longhouse 

The next summer Hiawatha and Daganoweda 
journeyed again to Nundawao. There they re- 
ceived the answers of the two branches of the 
Great Hill People: "The Senecas will build the 
western door of the United Longhouse and faith- 
fully keep it." 

Then the people of the Great Hill bestowed on 
Daganoweda a large shell brooch of pearly white- 
ness that was wonderfully cut. 

To Hiawatha they gave a canoe that was made 
of white birch bark brought from the land of the 
Chippewas. For the people of Nundawao said: 
"Is not the white color, 0-wis-ka, the sign of 
peace? Let the canoe of Hiawatha be covered 
with whiteness so that at a distance the Real Men 
may see it and know that the bearer of the sacred 
wampum is among them." 



PART FOUR 

The Building of the Longhouse 



CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO 

THE CONQUEST OF DARKNESS 

RuNNEES had sped to Kienika, the House pf 
Peace, with a message from Hiawatha, for the 
time had come when he and Daganoweda must 
encounter the direst foe of the Great Peace. 
These were the words that the runners carried: 
"Will Jigonsasa come to Kanatagowa, the place 
of difficulty? It is Hiawatha that asks it." 

In response to the call of Hiawatha, the canoe 
of the Peace Queen was straightway skimming 
Lake Ontario, moving swiftly toward Kanata- 
gowa, the place of danger. Early on the seventh 
sun, the messengers of the Four Nations met 
Jigonsasa at Lake Onondaga. Soon they were 
in the longhouse of Atotarho. 

They found Atotarho seated on a bench richly 
covered with bearskins. His face was dark and 
forbidding. He listened to the message sent by 
the four united tribes, but he spoke no word. As 
he sat there in silence, the war chieftain appeared 
like a man possessed of an evil spirit, and who is 
inwardly fighting to maintain his dark magic 
against the force of the Good Mind. In that 
hour the powers of light and darkness contended 
in Atotarho as in the ancient days when Hagwe- 
diyu and Hagwedaetgah fought for earth's do- 
minion. 

After they had waited long, watching the silent 
war chieftain, the messengers withdrew to counsel 
with one another. 

293 



294 The Hero of the Longhouse 

At once O-dat-seh-te, a wise chieftain of the 
Oneidas, said: "When the People of the Stone 
accepted the Great Peace, a company of Mo- 
hawks and Oneidas visited Atotarho inviting him 
to join his old allies in this new union. He re- 
ceived them in silence and dismissed them with- 
out answer. A year later the Cayugas joined 
hands with the Two United Brothers and entered 
the Great Longhouse. At once the Three United 
Brothers sent messengers to invite the Onon- 
dagas to join with them. Again they were dis- 
missed without answer. Another year has passed; 
and now, under the smoke of Ahsoquata, our 
Seneca Brother has pledged himself to the Great 
Peace. Now Four United Brothers come to Ato- 
tarho, come with Hiawatha and Daganoweda and 
the Mother of Nations, and invite him to enter 
the Longhouse of the LTnited People. But again 
he makes no answer. 

"Listen to the words of Odatsehte. Long ago 
the heart of the great w^ar chieftain came to love 
power. He spoke smooth words into the ears of 
the JNIohawks and Oneidas and Onondagas, and 
he turned their thoughts to his purpose. Through 
alliance he became the great war chieftain of the 
Three Brothers, and they came and sat down with 
him around the council brand at Kanatagowa. 
Then Atotarho looked westward and sought to 
subdue the Senecas and Cayugas, sought through 
long warfare to make them his vassals. 

"The eyes of Odatsehte are open. They see 



The Conquest of Darkness 295 

that Atotarho is still in love with power. Odat- 
sehte believes that Atotarho would open his ears 
to the Great Peace if the Four United Brothers 
would promise to make him the Great Sachem of 
the United Iroquois." 

Tecwihoga, the aged Mohawk chieftain, an- 
swered. His words were carefully uttered : "We 
have heard the words of Odatsehte, and we know 
that he has spoken truly. But how can our 
brother bring this matter before us? Odatsehte 
knows well that the thoughts of the Four United 
Brothers are not hidden from their messengers. 
The people, in their minds, have already chosen 
the Head Sachem. Among the Five Tribes there 
is but one man whom they would see lighting the 
council brand of the United Iroquois; there is 
but one man whom they would see standing be- 
fore them, blowing the smoke of Asoquata up- 
ward to the Great Ruler. That man is Hiawatha ! 

"Brothers, the minds of the people have opened 
wide to the Great Peace, and their hearts are big 
for the bearer of the White Wampum. Already 
they look forward to the great day when Ka- 
gagwa shall look out of the east sky and see all 
of the Real Men gathered in united council ; see 
the sacred horns of the Chief Sachem placed on 
the head of Hiawatha. They would have that 
great office crown the labor of Hiawatha so long 
as he walks among them, and never would they 
have his name pass from the office of Chief 
Sachem in the generations to follow." 



296 The Hero of the Longhouse 

At once Hiawatha spoke, and his words were 
plain and simple: "My Brothers, we are building 
a Longhouse that shall shelter our children for 
many generations. If the middle rafters of that 
Longhouse are lacking, if its central fireplace is 
dark and the benches empty, it will bring grief 
to our children. When our feet have left the 
earth-paths and entered the lodges where our 
Great Fathers are waiting, the Fathers will tell 
us that we have left the weapons of warfare un- 
buried, that we have left to our children the heavy 
burdens of famine and fruitless labor; they will 
rebuke us, because we have left the Great Peace 
work unfinished. 

"Listen, my Brothers. The words of the White 
Wampum are well known. The Four United 
People know that no man can wear the sacred 
horns of office unless he keeps the admonition 
that makes him a chieftain. It is known to all 
the Real Men that if the Great Sachem disobeys 
the laws recorded in the white shell strings, his 
horns shall be knocked off, the office shall pass 
from him, and his name be lost from it forever. 

"My Brothers, so well is our Longhouse 
builded, that its Chief Sachem cannot shake it. 
Let the united fire of the Five Brothers be kin- 
dled at Kanatagowa. This is the counsel of Hia- 
watha: Let the Chief Sachem be Atotarho." 

For a moment there was a silence so deep that 
it seemed as if Gaoh had leashed the four winds 
so that even the forests listened. 



The Conquest of Darkness 297 

Then Shadekaronyes, the Seneca chieftain, 
spoke: "Are there not Four United Tribes to 
meet Atotarho on the warpath? Shadekaronj^es 
is confident that Four United Brothers can sub- 
due Atotarho in battle and bring him to their 
wishes." 

And Tecwihoga answered: "My Brother 
speaks wisely. Let Kajawa, the war club, con- 
quer this proud chieftain." 

This word of Tecwihoga was received with 
strong words of approval. 

Then the quiet voice of Daganoweda was 
heard. He said: "My Brothers, the rafters of the 
Longhouse we are building must not be black- 
ened and charred by the fire of vengeance, or they 
will shake when tempests come, and fall on the 
heads of our children. Only in peace can the 
Longhouse of the LTnited People be securely 
builded. My Brothers, it is recorded in the 
Otekoa, the white shell strings, that the care of 
the chieftain's office is in the hands of the people. 
The Head Sachem cannot wear the sacred horns 
in dishonor, unless the people cease to guard their 
Longhouse. Daganoweda agrees with the 
counsel of Hiawatha. 

"My Brothers, it is true that Hiawatha holds 
the hearts of the people. Through all the years 
of his earth-life, the love of the Real Men will fol- 
low his footsteps ; and when he passes to the Land 
of the Blessed, our children for unnumbered 
generations will revere him. This shall be the 



298 The Hero of the Longhouse 

great reward of Hiawatha's labor. Naho. I 
have spoken." 

Then the Queen of the Xeutrals spoke. She 
said: "Wise are the words of Hiawatha, and wise 
is his action. Let the greatest war chieftain of 
the Ileal Men light the brand in the Great Peace 
Council. Will it not be a sign of forgiveness and 
union? Will not the Great Wisdom look on it 
with approval and wise men for ages confirm it?" 

There was no answer. Long the peace dele- 
gates sat speechless, while the sun climbed the 
heavens. At last, between long intervals of si- 
lence, one after another of the chieftains assented 
to the will of Hiawatha. When the last voice had 
been heard in agreement, the messengers re- 
turned to Atotarho. 

Then Hiawatha, speaking for the others, said 
to the war chieftain: "The messengers of the 
JNIohawks and Oneidas, of the Senecas and Cay- 
ugas, extend their hand to Atotarho. They say 
to him, 'If Atotarho approves and confirms the 
laws of the Great Peace, if he comes into the 
Longhouse with his Brothers, then the great 
council fire of the Real JNIen shall be lighted at 
Kanatagowa, and Atotarho shall be made the 
Fire Keeper of the United Council; on his head 
shall be placed the horns of the Chief Sachem." 

The war chieftain heard the words of Hia- 
watha as one who listens to a long-desired mes- 
sage. His head became erect, he rose to his feet, 
and stood listening intently. After a moment he 




the Chief Sachem" 



300 The Hero of the Longhouse 

said: "The words of the Great Peace are well 
known to Atotarho. His ears are open to the 
promise of the Four Brothers. Now he will come 
into the Longhouse of the United People and 
stand before its central council fire." Lifting 
his hand he added, "The smoke from it will arise 
and pierce the sky." 

Thus Hiawatha conquered Atotarho. 

Thereafter the messengers labored truly to 
open the heart of the war chieftain to the message 
of the white wampum. Jigonsasa spoke to him, 
because she had authority; and Daganoweda ut- 
tered words of power. But most of all, the 
speech of Hiawatha prevailed with Atotarho. 
For Hiawatha remembered the days when Ato- 
tarho's heart was still human. So it was that 
Hiawatha, with much labor, cleared the darkened 
mind of Atotarho and drove out the poison that 
had entered when he killed the white bird of 
promise. 

Two suns later the Onondagas, in council at 
Kanatagowa, confirmed the words of the peace 
message. 

Once more the people of Onondaga saw before 
them the two great chieftains who for many 
winters had stood by the council fire as op- 
ponents. Now they saw them united. They 
heard Atotarho speak the old familiar peace word 
for which Hiawatha had struggled. They heard 
him confirm the union that buried all weapons of 
warfare, that established peace between the tribes 
of the Real Men forever. 



The Conquest of Darkness 301 

As the peo23le witnessed this marvelous change 
in Atotarho, they asked themselves how such a 
w^onder had been accomplished. But this ques- 
tion of the Onondagas was answered when they 
looked on Hiawatha. For, as he stood in the old 
familiar place of council, he appeared like a man 
who had won a battle of surpassing difficulty, 
who had made a conquest like that of Hagwe- 
diyu — the great Conquest of Darkness. 



CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE 

THE GREAT COUNCIL 

The first council of the United People was held 
with the Onondagas. It was in the moon of green 
corn. From all the footpaths that united the Five 
Nations, from the broad trails of their lakes and 
rivers, the people crowded to Kanatagowa. 
Never had there been such a meeting of the Real 
JNIen. They left their villages behind them de- 
serted, and, like flocks of birds that darken the 
skies in autumn, they crowded to the place of 
council. 

The oldest was there and the youngest. The 
utmost skill of the medicine men had been put 
forth, for the sick must b* ealed for the journey. 
From far off Gahoose p e came, and from be- 
yond the Gennishej^o; + »vho would be absent 
from the first great co of the United Iro- 

quois ? 

From Xundawao c young man that 

would later lead the Ui uois against the 

Eries, and, in the nai '^^eat Ruler, 

compel them to obey th ~ T^house. 

Beside her mother ran m future 

winters would bring to t ^ of the Long- 

house a new beauty. From a gaoseha peered out 
a little child who would be revered as an aged 
man because his eyes had looked on Jigonsasa; 
looked on Daganoweda and the beloved Hia- 
watha, as they stood together in the Great 
Council. 



The Great Council 303 

Men have said that at the first great meeting 
of the Real Men, the Gennisheyo at the western 
door of the Longhouse sang a greeting to the dis- 
dant Skanehtade that flowed at the great eastern 
door. They have told how the deep-toned Do- 
sho-weh' spoke in prophecy to Skanodario of the 
fateful events that would carry the power of the 
Iroquois along its wide stretch of waters; how 
lakes and forests and mountains awakened to 
wonder, as they saw the Real Men go up to that 
first council. 

Across the broad Oneida Lake, the canoes of 
the Mohawks and Oneidas came crowding. The 
Oswego was filled with swift-moving canoes, and 
Lake Onondaga was rkened with the barks of 
the Brothers. Amo )these crowding canoes 
there was one that u all eyes because of its 
beauty and whitenes; iw all eyes, because the 
people knew that it ^ he canoe of the beloved 
Hiawatha. 

In a vast en X, not far from Lake 

Onondaga, +' he Longhouse sat down 

together' it the eyes of the Great 

Ruler loo. approval at seeing the 

Five Brother;.,, . es of separation, coming 

together about the sacred council brand. 

Those that had fought with each other met 
there in tears, for the Master of Life touched 
them with his finger and the stern hearts of strong 
warriors softened at that touch. On all sides, the 

* Lake Erie. 



304) The Hero of the Longhouse 

people saw chieftains who had contended in war- 
fare meeting as brothers. On all sides, captives 
and exiles who had lost their birthrights met their 
lost kinsfolk. The hearts of the people became 
big with forgiveness when they looked into each 
others' faces. In that great encampment, they 
buried old wrongs deep in the earth and became 
a people possessed by one spirit. 

There the Real Men saw the smoke from Ah- 
soquata ascending in clouds to the Great Ruler, 
carrying with it the thanksgiving of the United 
People. There they saw Hiawatha stand up with 
Daganoweda and Jigonsasa ; they saw them raise 
up Atotarho to be the Chief Sachem of the 
United People. Grasping the sacred horns of 
office between them, Daganoweda and Jigonsasa 
placed them on the head of Atotarho. In the ears 
of all the people they uttered the admonition of 
the Great Peace : 

"We now do crown you with the sacred 
emblem of the antlers, the sign of your lordship. 
You shall now become a mentor of the people of 
the Five Nations. The thickness of your skin 
shall be seven spans, for you shall be proof 
against anger, offensive action, and criticism. 
With endless patience you shall carry out your 
duty, and your firmness shall be tempered with 
tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor 
fear shall find lodgment in your mind, and all 
your words and actions shall be marked with calm 
deliberation. In all your official acts, self-interest 




'^.^■^W' 




n 



V _".j»>l s ' r 





"The smoke from Ahsoquata' 



306 The Hero of the Longhouse 

shall be cast aside. You shall look and listen for 
the welfare of the whole people and have always 
in view, not only the present but the coming gen- 
erations — the unborn of the future Nation." ' 

The warriors and chieftains who had fought 
with Atotarho, and all the company of warriors 
who had followed him in battle, and the men who 
had served him in secret, looked at him now with 
amazement. For the face of the Great Sachem 
was changed. The people said: "Truly Hia- 
watha has combed all the snakes from the hair of 
Atotarho. The evil spirit that possessed him has 
departed, so that now he has the hmiian heart and 
image." And the wise men said: "Truly Hia- 
watha is the greatest of the Real JMen. He alone 
has changed the heart of Atotarho. Atotarho 
had covered him with sorrow and filled his path- 
way with danger. But through the greatness of 
his spirit, Hiawatha has conquered." 

In those first days, Hiawatha and Dagano- 
weda made the Onondagas the fire keepers and 
the keepers of the sacred wampum that holds the 
laws of the United People. They made the Sen- 
ecas keepers of the western door of the Long- 
house. They made the INIohawks keepers of the 
eastern door of the Longhouse. And they raised 
up sachems to guard the great black doors that 
look eastward and westward, giving to each 
sachem a counsellor and assistant. Thencefor- 
ward all good and evil messages came through the 

^ From the Constitution of the Iroquois. 



The Great Council 307 

eastern and western doors of the Longhouse to 
reach the United People. 

On the seventh sun, the fifty sachems of the 
United People took their places in order about 
the central fire. On that day Kagagwa looked 
forth from the east sky to see the Five Brothers 
sitting together: the Three Elder Brothers, the 
Mohawks and Onondagas and Senecas, facing 
the Two Younger Brothers, the Oneidas and 
Cayugas. Then Hiawatha spoke to the United 
People: "Deep under this tall pine tree by the 
council fire we now bury our weapons of warfare. 
Into the depths of the earth, down into the deep 
under-earth currents of water that flow to un- 
known regions, we cast the tokens of strife. We 
bury them from sight; the pine tree shall cover 
them, and its five needles shall ever remind the 
Real Men of their union. Thus is the Great 
Peace established. AVarfare shall no longer be 
known between the Five Nations, and peace shall 
become the heritage of the United People I" 

On the ground about the council fire, Hia- 
watha spread before the people the symbols that 
were to remind them of the laws on which the 
liOnghouse was founded. Among these sjTnbols 
were the w^hite wampum belt which was to sig- 
nify the Great Peace ; a swan's wing, with which 
to sweep all dust, all stain, and all evil of every 
kind away from the white wampum belt; a rod 
with which to defend the white wampum belt 
from creeping, evil things; and a bundle of five 



308 The Hero of the Longhouse 

arrows, the sign of the strength of the Konoshi- 
oni, the United People. 

Also Hiawatha spread before the people the 
sacred strings of wampum that held the laws of 
the Konoshioni. Each winter these strings would 
be read at the great council fire so that the laws 
recorded there might be wrapped close in the 
hearts of the people. 

In the last days of the council, the great laws 
recorded in the sacred wampum were read, one 
by one, before the assemblage, and they were con- 
firmed by the United Chieftains. As the jjeople 
listened to these laws, the wisest among them said 
to each other: "Truly the Real Men are building 
a Longhouse that shall stretch from the Skaneh- 
tade to the Gennisheyo. They will make it strong 
in every part; they will clear it of every hurtful 
thing ; they will faithfully guard its doorways so 
that it shall shelter their children forever." 

At the last meeting of the council, Dagano- 
weda said: "The Real Men must overcome diffi- 
culties surpassing those of any other people 
before they can reach the fullness of their power 
and prove themselves indeed the Men of Men. 
This Longhouse that is building shall stand as 
a witness to the Real Men. If in future ages 
they forget the trust bestowed on them by the 
Master of Life, may the memory of their Fathers 
rebuke them and call them again to duty. 

"My children, see that you remember these last 
admonitions of Daganoweda." 



CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR 

THE WHITE CANOE 

Ix the winters that followed the Great Council, 
the life of Hiawatha was filled with busy labor, 
and very often he counseled with Daganoweda at 
Gahoose. There were many crooked pathways 
between the Real Men, that by long and patient 
effort could be straightened. There were pitfalls 
and obstructions that snared the feet of the 
people and hindered them on their journey. As 
they labored to clear away these obstructions, 
Daganoweda and Hiawatha saw old jealousies 
and feuds slowly buried and replaced with better 
customs. Very slowly clan vengeance was dis- 
appearing — that relentless clan vengeance that 
had left every footpath blood-stained. 

The great Hiawatha labored with tireless pa- 
tience, and many labored with him to clear the 
tangled trails of the people. So it was, that, 
winter by winter, the Longhouse of the United 
People became stronger. Its fireplaces were 
wider and cleaner. The pottery that stood on the 
shelves and the implements and weapons that 
hung on the walls were better made and of 
greater beauty. 

All the tides of life were flowing, and the pulse 
of the people beat strong with the hope that pos- 
sessed them. Like living shuttles, runners were 
daily speeding across the many footpaths that 
united the Real 3Ien. All the water trails were 
alive with swift canoes that were threading the 

309 



310 The Hero of the Longhouse 

rivers, swimming the lakes, seeking every creek 
and inlet, and crowding the portages along On- 
tario and Erie. 

Among these crowding canoes there was one 
that came like a white bird of promise. Seen 
from afar, it was hailed by every Iroquois with 
joy and expectation. When he sighted a white 
canoe, the heart of the Real ]Man asked only one 
question, "Does it bring Hiawatha, or is it the 
bark of a stranger?" When in springtime the 
lakes and rivers were freed from their icy fetters, 
the White Canoe gladdened the eyes of the 
people along pathways near and distant. But 
there w^as one water trail that saw it most often : 
it was the river road between Teahtontaloga, 
home of Gawenneta, and Gahoose, where dwelt 
Daganoweda. 

One day, when ten winters had passed after 
that first great Council of the United People, 
Hiawatha left his lodge at Teahtontaloga. The 
sun was low in the western sky. Entering the 
White Canoe, Hiawatha turned its prow toward 
Gahoose. The hand that held the paddle was 
very steady, and the White Canoe moved slowly 
on with the river, obeying the touch of its master 
as he kept its course eastward. 

Once a bark canoe passed, and the four hunt- 
ers within it saluted the White Canoe. Each 
one of them noted the upright figure of the Great 
Chieftain; noted his deep-lined face both strong 
and kindly; saw that his hair was touched by the 



Tlie White Canoe 311 

snows of winter, and that his eyes were clear and 
far-seeing. He seemed to be thinking intently. 

In truth, the mind of Hiawatha was filled with 
an urgent question that he was bringing to Da- 
ganoweda. A tribe to the southward had refused 
an alliance offered by the Iroquois. Too weak to 
make war on the United PeojDle, their warriors 
hid in the forests of the Mohawks and Oneidas 
and murdered the Iroquois by stealth. Most of 
the chieftains of the Ileal Men believed that the 
treacherous enemy should be subdued by war and 
made a subject people. 

Hiawatha was now confronted by the old ques- 
tion of warfare. The Real Men had learned how 
to live in peace with each other; how could they 
be taught to live in peace with their warlike 
neighbors. As Hiawatha pondered the question 
he recalled words spoken long ago by Jigonsasa, 
the Peace Queen: "If the Great Peace is carried 
to still other tribes, it must be borne by runners 
who will labor after the work of Hiawatha is 
finished." And Hiawatha thought, "The Great 
Mother spoke truly. The work of the Great 
Peace is only begun. Now it must be extended. 
The Great Wisdom will choose messengers to 
bear it." 

The eyes of Hiawatha turned again to the 
familiar path of the Mohawk; to the friendly 
forests that bordered the river; to Kagagwa, the 
sun, shining low in the west sky. For a few 
moments he urged the White Canoe forward; 



312 The Hero of the Longhouse 

then suddenly the paddle dropped from his hand, 
and he sank back in dreamless slumber. 

Then Oah, the wind, came and talked with the 
drifting canoe, the Gaowo — so the old men 
among the Iroquois tell the story. The Gaowo 
said: "Leash Dajoji, the west wind, for my 
Great Master is sleeping. Let me move very 
slowly, for he is weary, else he would not slumber 
under the eye of Kagagwa." 

And Oah answered: "Only the breath of Ne- 
oga, the south wind, shall touch him. I will rock 
the Gaowo very gently, even as I rocked his ga- 
oseha when it hung from the trees long ago in 
far-off Onondaga." 

So the White Canoe drifted gently, blown by 
the breath of the south wind. 

Then the River spoke: "I go on a long 
journey. I join the swift Skanehtade. I shall 
never pause on my journey until I come to the 
Great Sea at the Sun's Rising." 

The White Canoe quivered as it felt the urge 
of the strong River. 

As Ogasah, the evening, drew near, all the 
woodlands began to murmur to the drifting 
Gaowo. "Stay with us," they said. "Stay with 
the wide forests that your Master loveth. Here 
Kiondaga, the oak tree, will give him shelter, and 
here Ostaa, the pine, will sing to him in his 
slumber." 

The White Canoe answered the Forest, as it 
drifted onward with the River: "Your roads are 




>^.^^ 




'Then from out the starry belt of Gadowaas flashed 
a ray of wondrous beauty" 



314 The Hero of the Longhouse 

long and your footpaths are lonely and dark- 
some. My Master can no longer follow your 
trails, for his feet are very weary." 

Through the quiet of Ogasah, the evening, the 
deep voice of far-off Ontario sounded; sounded 
near yet very distant. It whispered, "Bear him 
backward to my sounding waters. Bring him 
once more to the ancient homeland at the head of 
the Rapid River." 

Then the Gaowo, the White Canoe, made an- 
swer: "Do not call him. You have seen him often, 
as he hastened to Kienika, the peace town; you 
have seen him resting at the Falls of the Oswego; 
you have seen his years of labor. Now that he 
slumbers, do not wake him." 

From out the night-blue of heaven, the silent 
stars looked downward ; and Gadowaas, the Soul 
Watcher, whispered: "The Great Chieftain is 
sleeping. His feet are set toward my shining 
pathway." 

Then from out the starry belt of Gadowaas 
flashed a ray of wondrous beauty; it bathed the 
White Canoe in splendor. And the spirit of the 
sleeper, loosing itself from every fetter, followed 
the bright pathway upward and stood before the 
Great Soul Watcher. 

Straightway Gadowaas bent downward and 
plucked a great star that was throbbing with the 
light of the sky world. He stooped and fastened 
it to the belt of the Great Chieftain; then he led 
him along the blessed pathway to the pleasant 



The White Canoe 315 

lodges where the beloved ones waited to greet him 
with old familiar voices. 

But the quiet stars that looked downward saw 
that the White Canoe had yielded to the will of 
the River. It had passed Gahoose where Daga- 
noweda waited; it had passed the fair village of 
Skanehtade. It was moving southward on the 
straight course of the River Skanehtade; it was 
following the far-off call of the Great Sea at the 
Sun's Rising. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Beauchamp, W. M. New York State Museum Bulle- 
tins, 1897-1903: 

No. 13, Religious and Mourning Councils and 

Ceremonies of Adoption of the New York 
Indians. 

No. 16, Aboriginal Chipped Stone Instruments 

of New York. 

No. 18, Polished Stone Articles Used by the New 

York Aborigines before and during Euro- 
pean Occupation. 

No. 22, Earthenware of New York Aborigines. 

No. 32, Aboriginal Occupation of New York. 

No. 41, Wampum and Shell Articles Used by 

the New York Indians. 

No. 50, Horn and Bone Implements of the New 

York Indians. 

No. 78, History of the New York Iroquois. 

Canfield, W. W. The Legends of the Iroquois. 

The White Seneca. 

Chadwick. People of the Longhouse. 

Clark, Joshua V. H. Onondaga, or Reminiscences of 

Earlier and Later Times. 
CoLDEN, Cadwallader. History of the Five Nations. 

A. S. Barnes & Co., 1904. 
Converse, Harriet Maxwell (Ya-ie-wa-noh). Myths 

and Legends of the New York State Iroquois. 

Bulletin 25. 
CusicK, David. Sketches of Ancient History of the 

Six Nations. 
DiNSMORE, Frances. Chippewa Music. Bureau of 

American Ethnology, Bulletin 45. 
DoRSEY, J. O. Religion of Siouan Tribes. 
Eastman, Charles. Indian Boyhood. 

The Soul of the Indian. 

Fletcher, Alice C. The Hoko: A Pawnee Ceremony. 
22d Report of Bureau of American Ethnology. 

• The Omaha Tribe. Report of Bureau of Ameri- 
can Ethnology, No. 27. 
3J6 



Bibliography 317 

Hale, Horatio. The Iroquois Boole of Rites. 

Hall, Captain Basil. Travels in Xorth America. 

Haruington, M. R. Last of the Iroquois Potters. 
62d Report of New York State Museum. 

Heckewelder, John. History, Manners, and Cus- 
toms of the Indian Nations. 

Hewitt, J. N. B. Iroquois Cosmology. Bureau of 
American Ethnology, 21st Report. 

Holmes, W. H. Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans. 
Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 

LiGHTHALL, W. D. The Master of Life. 

LowiE, Robert. Dance Associations of the Eastern 
Dakotas. 

Morgan, Lewis H. League of the Iroquois. Edited 
by H. M. Lloyd. 

Houses and Home Life of the American Abo- 
rigines. 

Ancient Society. 

Moulthrop, S. p. Iroquois. 

Parker, Arthur Caswell. Certain Iroquois Tree 
Myths and Symbols. American Anthropologist, 
Vol. XIV, No. 4. 

Constitution of the Five Xations. New York 

State ArcliJEological Department Bulletin, April, 
1916. 

Iroquois Uses of Maize. New York State Mu- 
seum Bulletin, No. 144. 

Seneca Societies. New York State Bulletin, No. 

133. 

Peace Policy of the Iroquois. Southern Work- 

ingman, December, 1911. 

The Story of Daganoweda. ]\Ianuscript in New 

York State Archaeological Department. 

The Departure of Hiawatha. Manuscript in 

New York State Archaeological Department. 

Roundthaler. Life of John Heckewelder. 
Seaver, James E. Life of Mary Jemison. 
Schoolcraft, H. R. Notes on the Iroquois. 



318 Bibliography 

Smith, Erminie. Myths of the Iroquois. Report of 
the Bureau of American Ethnology, Vol. II. 

Stites, Sara Henry. Economics of the Iroquois. 
Bryn Mawr College Monograph, Vol. I, No. 3. 

Thwaites, R. G. Jesuit Relations. Translations. 

WissLER, Clark. Societies and Ceremonial Associa- 
tions in the Oglala Division of the Teton-Dakota. 
Anthropological Papers of the Museum of Natural 
History, Vol. XI, Part 1. 



I 



GLOSSARY 



It is suggested that where this book is used as a supple- 
mentary reader an effort be made to pronounce the Indian names, 
the pronunciation of which, after a little practice, will be found 
very simple. The vowel sounds should be rendered as follows: 

a as in ate; S as in at; a as in far; ai as in aisle; e as in feet; 6 as 
in met; i as in pine; I as in hit; o as in tone; 6 as in fond 



Ad-i-ron'dack. An Indian tribe 
located near the St. 
Lawrence River, once the 
masters of the Iroquois. 
The Iroquois referred to 
them contemptuously as 
Tree Eaters. 

Ah-so-qua'ta. The peace pipe. 

Ah-weh'ah-ah. The American 
swan. Swans were found 
on our inland lakes, not in 
flocks but in pairs. "Wlien 
the Indian departed, they 
spread their wings and fol- 
lowed him." 

Ai'jah. Seneca captive maiden. 
She became the wife of 
Daweyongo. 

Al-gon'kin. An Indian tribe 
located to the west of the 
Iroquois. The Algonkin 
stock was widely scattered 
over eastern North America 
and included the Ojibwa, 
Ottawa, Cree, Algonkin, 
Micmac, and Blackfeet 
tribes. 

Ali-quip'so. A heroine of the 
Oneidas. 

an'da. Day. 

An-da Ka-ga'gwa. " Day sun." 
See Anda and Kagagwa. 

Andia-ta-roc'ta. Lake George. 

A-o-do'gweh. The sworn friend 
of Daweyongo, exile and 
avenger of Daweyongo. 

ar-o'se-a. The squirrel. 

Ata-en'sic. The Great Mother 
of Iroquoian mythology. 
The line of Peace Queens of 
the Neutral Nation had a 
legendary descent from Ata- 



ensic; hence their great 
authority with the Iro- 
quoian (or Huron-Iroquois) 
race. She is referred to as 
Sky Mother, Sky Woman, 
and First Mother. The 
Island of Ataensic is the 
earth. 

Ato-tar'ho. The most famous 
war chieftain of the Onon- 
dagas. He opposed Hia- 
watha in the making of the 
League. He was the first 
sachem of the League, and 
his name still descends with 
the office in the Canadian 
Reservations. His char- 
acter as represented here 
is taken from Iroquoian 
sources. 

A-wey'ni-yont. Name (fem.) 
means " Hanging Flower." 

birds. Messengers. " Birds of 
dark plumage " was a term 
applied to evil messengers, 
as the spies of Atotarho. 

bone fiaker. The bone instru- 
ment used for flaking arrows. 
Sometimes a stone instru- 
ment was used. 

Boy Foxes or Fox Boys, Boy 
Hunters, and Boy Warriors. 
These were different asso- 
ciations for the training of 
the Iroquois youth. 

Brothers. The members of the 
United Tribes. The Elder 
Brothers were the Senecas, 
Mohawks, and Onondagas. 
The Younger Brothers were 
the Cayugas and Oneidas. 



320 



Glossary 



Ca-yu'ga. One of the United 
Tribes or " Five Nations." 
Most of the representatives 
of this tribe are now living 
in Ontario. Some still re- 
main in New York, and 
some are in Oklahoma.- 

Caz-e-no'vi-a. Lake Cazenovia. 
Iroquois name, Ah-wa'gee. 

Che-nan'go. The Chenango 
River. It enters the Sus- 
quehanna. The Iroquois 
name was 0-che'nang, 
meaning " bull thistles." 

Cher-o-kee'. An Indian tribe of 
Iroquoian stock, formerly 
located about the head- 
waters of the Tennessee 
River and in the country 
northward. 

Chip'pe-wa. (Another form of 
the name Ojibwa or O- 
jibway.) An Indian tribe 
of the Algonkin stock living 
about Lake Superior. 

clan. The Indian clans were 
known by the names of 
animals, as Turtle, Bear, 
Fox, Wolf, and Snipe. The 
clans were inter-tribal and 
the names of individuals 
indicated the particular 
clans to which the individ- 
uals belonged. Member- 
ship in a clan was deter- 
mined by descent in the 
female line. The Clan 
Mother was the most im- 
portant of the Royaners of 
a tribe — as Shawenis is 
represented to have been 
among the Onondagas. 

Coo-e'a. The call given by a 
stranger on approaching a 
village. 

Da-ga-no-we'da. Meaning in- 
exhaustible. A Mohawk 
chieftain. He is supposed 



by some of the best authori- 
ties to have been a Huron by 
birth who was adopted by 
the Mohawks. He shares 
with Hiawatha the honor 
of founding the League. 
He is sometimes designated 
as the founder. Among the 
Iroquois he is regarded as 
a superhuman character. 

Da-j6'ji. The panther; also 
name for the west wind, 
which was figured as a 
panther. 

Da-wey-on'go. A Cayuga cap- 
tive, adopted into the Onon- 
daga tribe. He belonged to 
the Wolf Clan. 

Da-yo-ho'go. A young Mo- 
hawk chieftain who married 
Gawenneta, sister of Hia- 
watha. 

death song. Before execution, 
the Indian recounted his 
deeds of valor; this was 
his " death song." 

Delaware. An Indian people of 
the Algonkin stock. In 
the time of Hiawatha they 
inhabited the Delaware 
Valley. They are now lo- 
cated in Oklahoma and in 
Ontario. The Indian name 
of the tribe was Leni 
Lenape. Under that name 
they figure in Cooper's The 
Last of the Mohicans. 

De-0-song'wa. The Deep Spring 
or Great Spring near the 
present Manlius. It lay on 
the Great Central Trail, on 
the boundary line between 
the Oneidas and Onondagas. 
It was a favorite stopping 
place of the Iroquois in 
their journeys upon that 
great throughfare. Name 
means " spring in the deep 
basin." 



Glossary 



321 



Dew Eagle. The Dew Eagle 
holds a prominent place in 
the lore of the Iroquois. 
Their ideas about it are in- 
dicated in Chapter 16. 

Don-ya'daas. Name (masc). 

Do-sho'weh. Seneca name for 
Lake Erie and for Buffalo. 
" Place of basswood." 

Do-wa'go. A spy of Atotarho. 

dream-fast. This essentially re- 
ligious experience was the 
most important event in 
the life of an Indian. It 
was not uncommon for an 
Indian youth to die of star- 
vation while he awaited 
inspiration from his clan 
spirit. 

Erie. An Indian tribe of the 
Iroquoian race. At the 
time of this story they were 
living along the eastern and 
southern shores of Lake 
Erie. At a later period they 
were conquered by the 
United Tribes and most of 
the survivors were incor- 
porated with the Senecas. 

Evil Spirits. The Iroquois be- 
lieved in evil spirits and in 
witches. They visioned evil 
spirits as flying heads of 
terrible aspect. 

Fathers. Great Fathers. Terms 
by which the Iroquois re- 
ferred to their remote an- 
cestors. 

feather dance. The "Os-to- 
weh'go-wa," a dance of 
thanksgiving. It was the 
most impressive and beauti- 
ful of the Iroquois dances. 
It originated about the 
time of the making of the 
League. 

Fire Spirit. Ho-deTia. 



Ga-ah'na. Lake Otisco. Name 
means " Rising to the sur- 
face and again sinking." 
It refers to the legend of a 
drowning man. 

Ga-da-gwa'sa. A Cayuga chief- 
tain of the Bear Clan. 

Ga-do'waas. The Soul- Watcher, 
or Great Soul- Watcher. 
The belt of Gadowaas, 
thrown across the heavens, 
makes the Milky Way, the 
" starry belt " of the Iro- 
quois. Each soul receives a 
star from this belt to guide 
it on its way. W'hen the 
soul has crossed the heavens, 
Gadowaas returns the star 
to its appointed place. 

ga'ga. The crow. 

Ga-hen-wa'ga. Big Salmon 
Creek. Name means " a 
creek." 

Ga'oh. Spirit of the winds. 
Referred to as Wind 
Keeper. 

Ga'ho-ose. Cohoes Falls; also 
the name of a Mohawk 
village located just north of 
the Falls. The name means 
" shipwrecked canoe." 

gain'jeh. A fish. 

ga'ka. Breechcloth of deerskin 
about a quarter of a yard 
wide and two yards long. 
It was secured by a deer- 
skin belt, the embroidered 
ends falling over the belt 
before and behind. 

Ga-na-yo'he. Middle strong- 
hold of the Mohawks located 
at the site of Canajoharie. 
Name means " washing the 
basin." 

Ga-na-wa'ga. The St. Lawrence. 
Name means " the rapid 
river." 

ga'ne-a. Ball bat about five 
feet long, curved at the 



322 



Glossary 



end. A network of deerskin 
within the curve caught the 
ball. 

Ga-ne-a'ga. Upper Mohawk 
stronghold near Herkimer 
and nearly opposite the 
junction of the West Canada 
Creek and the Mohawk 
River. Name means " pos- 
sessor of the flint." It was 
probably the oldest village 
of the Mohawks and the 
one from which they took 
their name, " people of the 
flint." 

Ga-nius'ka. The Stone Giant. 
Name means " stone giant" 
or " great worker in stone." 

Ga-no-a-lo-ha'le. Oneida Lake; 
also the Oneida strong- 
hold. Name means " head 
on a pole." 

Ga-nun-da'gwa. Canandaigua 
Lake. Name means " place 
selected for a settlement." 

Ga-nun-da-sa'ga. Seneca Lake. 

ga-ose'ha. Cradle-board carried 
on the back by means of 
a burden strap which is 
placed across the mother's 
forehead. 

ga-o'wo ipl. gaowa). Bark canoe, 
usually made of red elm or 
bitternut by the Iroquois. 
The canoes varied in size 
from twelve feet, which 
would carry about two men, 
to forty feet, with a capacity 
of thirty men. 

Ga-sun'to. Jamesville Creek. 
Name means " bark in the 
water." 

ga-wa'sa. See Snow snake. 

Ga-wen-ne'ta. The sister of 
Hiawatha. The name be- 
longs to the Turtle Clan. 

Ga-ye'was. The name of a 
boyhood friend of the 
hero. 



Gen-nis'he-yo. The Genesee, 
the " river of the beautiful 
valley." 

Ge-wa'ga. Cayuga stronghold 
at the site of Union Springs. 
Name means " promontory 
running out." 

gorget. A breast ornament sus- 
pended from the neck. 

Great Sachem. An official who 
presided over the United 
Councils, lighting the 
council fire. His position 
was one of dignity rather 
than power. 

Great Sea, Great Sea at the 
Sun's Rising, and Great 
Water. Names applied to 
the Atlantic Ocean. It was 
called " O-jih-ha-da-gi'ga," 
meaning " salt water." 

Gus-ta-ote. Spirit of the Rock. 

Gwe-u'gweh. Cayuga Lake, 
" the lake of the mucky 
land." 

Ha'goks. A mystical eagle of 
marvelous plumage. 

Ha-gwe-da-et'ga. The Spirit of 
Evil, the Bad Mind, or the 
Evil Mind. He was opposed 
to Hagwediyu, Spirit of 
Good. See the story of 
Ataensic, Chapter Two. 

Ha-gwe-di'yu. Spirit of Good, 
or the Good Mind. He was 
the worker of good under 
the care of Hawenniyu. 
Though earth-born, he was 
heaven-descended, the son of 
Ataensic. Hence he is spoken 
of as Holder-of-the-Heavens, 
one who keeps hold of his 
heavenly powers. 

Ha-ja'no. Mythical hero who 
slew the Two-headed Ser- 
pent. 

ha-nu'na. The turtle. The 
" Great Turtle " indicated 



Glossary 



323 



the highland of central New 
York. 

Ha-wen-ni'jm. The principal 
god of the Iroquois. Name 
means " he who governs." 
He was called the Great 
Spirit, the Great Wisdom, 
the Master of Life, the 
Great Ruler, the Great 
Creator. With the Iroquois 
he holds the place of the 
Christian God. 

He'no. Spirit of the thunder. 
He called the Iroquois his 
grandchildren. He was a 
foe to monsters and unclean 
spirits and pursued them 
with relentless fury. 

heron feather. An emblem of 
courage among the Iro- 
quois. 

Hi-a-wa'tha or Hy-ent-wat'ha. 
The name had several forms. 
The meaning most com- 
monly given to it was, 
" bearer of the wampum 
belt." It was also rendered 
"he who finds his lost mind" 
and " the comber-out of 
snakes." With Dagano- 
weda, Hiawatha was the 
founder of the Iroquois 
League. 

Ho-das-ha'teh. Name (masc), 
Wolf Clan. 

Ho-de'gweh. The instructor of 
the Boy Hunters. 

Ho-do-an'jo. The arrow maker. 

Ho-no-che-no'kee. The invisi- 
ble helpers. These were 
good spirits that befriended 
the Iroquois. 

Ho-no-we-na'to. Name (masc). 
Wolf Clan. 

Homed Serpent. A fabled 
monster slain in Lake On- 
tario by Heno. 

Ho-sa-ha'ho. A chieftain of the 
Onondaga Turtles, the son 
of Shawenis. 



ho-ty-6'ne. The wolf. 

Hu-na-dan'lu. The Story-teller. 
He is referred to as " keeper 
of the faith " and " friend 
of man." 

Hu'ron. A tribe of the Iro- 
quoian (or Huron-Iro- 
quoian) stock. The Hurons 
inhabited the country be- 
tween Lakes Huron, Erie 
and Ontario. They were 
conquered by the United 
Iroquois, who absorbed 
most of the survivors. 

i-han'i. " My father." Iroquois 
form of address. 

Invisible helpers. See Ho-no-che- 
no'kee. 

Iroquois. The most powerful 
and the most civilized In^ 
dian people north of Mexico. 
The name comes from the 
Algonkin word meaning, 
" real snakes." The Iro- 
quois are referred to as Men 
of Men, Real Men, Real 
People, United People, 
Five Brothers. "Ong-we'- 
ho-we," the name by which 
they called themselves, is the 
Iroquois term for Real Men 
or Men of Men. 

is-te-a'ha. " My mother." Iro- 
quois form of address. 

i-yea'ha. " My son." Iroquois 
form of address. 

je'ye. The dog. 

Ji-gon'sa-sa. Queen of the 
Neutrals. She belonged to 
a line of Peace Queens or 
Great Mothers whom the 
Iroquois believed to have 
descended from Ataensic, 
the Sky Mother. She is 
referred to as Great ^lother. 
Peace Queen, Great Mother 
of Nations, Great Woman, 
and the Yegowaneh, 



324 



Glossary 



jis-ko'ko. The robin. 

jit'so. The fox. 

jo-ga'o. The Elf Folk, the 
active helpers of the Iro- 
quois. They are also re- 
ferred to as the Little 
People. The children of 
the Iroquois still watch 
the cornfields for the Elf 
Folk. 

jon-i'to. The beaver. 

Ka-ga'gwa. The sun. 

ka-ja'wa. The club, or the war 
club. 

Ka-is'to-wan-ea. A two-headed 
serpent. The story of this 
serpent is one of the best 
known among the Iroquois. 
In the judgment of School- 
craft it pictures civil strife. 

Ka-na'ta-go'wa. Principal vil- 
lage of the Onondagas at 
the time of the founding of 
the League. It was called 
Onondaga Castle by the 
white settlers. The term 
" castle " was applied to the 
principal villages or strong- 
holds of different tribes. It 
has been avoided in this 
story as being anachro- 
nistic. 

Ka-ne-go'dick. The present 
Woods Creek, a stream 
flowing into Oneida Lake 
from the east. The short 
portage or carrying place be- 
tween this stream and the 
nearest branch of the Mo- 
hawk River made the one 
break in the long waterway 
from central and western 
New York to the Atlantic 
Ocean. This portage was for 
ages a great thoroughfare 
of the Indians. 

Kan-ye-da're-yo. A Seneca 
chieftain of the Turtle Clan, 
one of the fifty sachems of 



the League. The name 
means " beautiful lake." 
The word corresponds to the 
Mohawk word " Skano- 
dario," from which we de- 
rive " Ontario." 

Ka-ri'wi-yo. Iroquois word 
meaning Great Peace. 

Ki-en-i'ka. Town of the Peace 
Queen. It was located on 
the Niagara River. See 
map. The Peace Queen's 
residence is referred to as 
House of Peace or Peace 
Home. See Jigonsasa. 

ki-on-da'ga. The oak tree. 

Ko-nosh-i-o'ni. The United 
People, a name the Iroquois 
gave themselves at the 
Confederation. They also 
called themselves the " Ho- 
de-no-sau'nee" or People of 
the Longhouse. 

Koo-weh'. The Iroquois cry of 
mourning. 

Ko-sa'ge. Winter. 

kwaa. The woodpecker. 

kwa-ah. The cry announcing 
the approach of an enemy. 

Kwa-e'sea. The partridge. 

ky-e-a'ha. " My daughter." 
Iroquois form of address. 

Land of the Blessed. Land 
of the Sunset, Sunset-Land 
of the Blessed. The Iro- 
quois believed that the 
spirits of the dead journeyed 
to their homes in this Sunset- 
Land. 

Light World. Upper World. 

Longhouse. The communal 
dwelling of the Iroquois. 
" The Longhouse to which 
the Iroquois likened their 
political edifice opened its 
eastern door upon the 
Hudson, while the western 
looked out upon Niagara." 
Lewis H. Morgan 



Glossary 



325 



" To an Iroquois the League 
was not like a Longhouse. 
It was a Longhouse ex- 
tending from the Hudson 
to the Genesee, in which 
five fires, the five tribes, 
gathered. The Mohawk 
Wolf Clan kept the eastern 
door, the Seneca Wolves the 
western. At each fire the 
sachems like pillars upheld 
the roof, the chiefs were 
the braces that fortified 
the structure." Morgan 

" We constitute but one 
house, we five Iroquois 
nations, we build but one 
fire, and we have through 
all time dwelt under the 
same roof." 

General Ely S. Parker 



though their territory ex- 
tended northward to the 
St. Lawrence and south- 
ward to the Delaware River 
and the Catskills. 

moon. The different moons or 
months were referred to as 
fawn moon, moon of maple 
sugar, moon of green corn, 
moon of falling leaves, etc. 
The moon itself was often 
called " grandmother moon." 
See Soa Kagagwa. 

mourning council. The council 
at which a new chieftan was 
histalled; also the council 
that mourned the dead chief- 
tain. 

mystery bag. A bag in which 
sacred objects were put. It 
was buried with the dead. 



medicine. Medicine creatures, 
medicine animals, medicine 
plants. "Medicine" means 
a magical potence. 

medicine man. A man having 
knowledge of mysteries. 

Mohawk. At the time of the 
American Revolution, the 
Mohawks were the leading 
tribe of the Iroquois, then 
known as the Six Nations. 
(The Tuscaroras had come 
into the Confederacy early 
in the eighteenth century.) 
They took sides with the 
English and later fled to 
Canada, where most of the 
representatives of the tribe 
still live. The Mohawks 
called themselves Ka-ni- 
en-ge-ha-ga, " people of the 
flint." 

Mohawk River. The Iroquois 
name for this river was 
Te-uge'ga, meaning " at 
the forks." The Mohawk 
people dwelt in its valley. 



na-ho'. " i have spoken." This 
was the customary last 
word of a formal speech. 

Nan-ta-sa'sis. An Onondaga 
village southwest of Kana- 
tagowa. There were still 
other Onondaga villages, but 
Nantasasis and Kanatagowa 
were most important. 

Na-sa'geh. Name (masc). 
Wolf Clan. 

Ne-ah'ga. Niagara. Term ap- 
plied to the river and the 
falls. The Senecas applied 
this term to Lake Ontario 
also. It corresponds to the 
Mohawk word Skanodario, 
from which we derive On- 
tario. 

Ne-a'weh. " I am thankful," 
an expression frequent 
among the Iroquois. 

Ne-0-dak-he'at. Iroquois vil- 
lage located on Cayuga 
Lake at the site of Ithaca. 
Name means " At the end 
of the lake." 



326 



Glossary 



ne-6'ga. A fawn. The south 
wind was figured as a fawn. 

Neutral Nation, or the Neutrals. 
A tribe of the Iroquoian 
stock ruled by the Peace 
Queens. They occupied the 
country north of the Eries. 
See Map. They were con- 
quered and absorbed by the 
Senecas after the formation 
of the Iroquois confederacy. 

New Year. Among the Iroquois 
the festival of the New Year 
was celebrated as described 
in Chapter Seventeen. The 
idea of putting away wrong 
and beginning anew domi- 
nated this festival. The 
medicine men wore false 
faces during this and other 
ceremonials. 

No-gon'dih. Name (fem.). Wolf 
Clan. 

no'ji. The muskrat. 

Nun-da-wa'o. The principal 
Seneca village located near 
the present Naples was on 
the summit of Bare Hill. 
The name means " Great 
Hill." To the Iroquois, 
Bare Hill is one of the most 
sacred spots in the state. 

O-a-a-go'wa. Name (masc). 

6'ah. The wind. 

och-do'ah. The bat. 

0-dat-seh'te. A wolf chieftain 
of the Oneidas. He became 
one of the fifty chieftains of 
the League. Name means 
" quiver bearer." 

od-jis'ta. The fire. 

0-eh'da. The earth (soil). 

o-gas'aa. Evening. 

o-han'ta. The ear. 

o-ho'wa. The owl. 

o-jish-an'da. A star. 

6'kah. The snow. 

0-ka'ra. The eye. 



0-kwa'ri. The bear. The north 
wind is figured as the bear. 
The term " Great Bear " or 
" Celestial Bear," " Master 
Bear " or " Mighty Bear," 
was applied by the Iroquois 
as by the ancients, to 
the constellation that we 
know as the Great Dipper. 

o'leek. The pigeon. 

o-na-s6'kwa. Parched corn, one 
of the most valuable foods 
of the Iroquois. 

O-na'ta. The corn spirit, a 
mythical maiden who 
watched over the maize 
fields. The belief in some 
such spirit has, at one time 
or another, been held by 
almost every tribe of men. 

On-di-ya'ka. The father of 
Hiawatha, a chieftain of 
the Wolf Clan. 

0-ne-a-da'lote. Lake Cham- 
plain. 

0-nei'da. One of the United 
Tribes. They lived near 
Oneida Lake. Representa- 
tives of the tribe are now 
living in New York, Wis- 
consin, and Canada. The 
name means Great Stone 
People or People of the 
Great Stone. 

0-ni'a. " A stone." The tribal 
name of the Oneidas was 
derived from this word. 
The sacred stone pf the 
Oneidas is now in the ceme- 
tery at Utica. 

O-nis'ka-thaw. Iroquois name 
for Helderberg Mountains. 

On-on-da'ga. One of the United 
Tribes. Remnants of the 
tribe still exist in New York 
and Ontario. The name 
means " on the hills." The 
Onondagas called them- 
selves " People of the Hills." 



Glossary 



327 



on-yo'sa. The nose. 

0-ris'ka-ny. The Indian name 
for Oriskany Creek was 
0-lc'hisk. 

o'staa. The pine tree. 

0-sa'ha. Spy of Atotarho. 
One of the " birds of dark 
plumage." 

Os-to-weh'go-wa. See Feather 
ilance. 

Os-we'go. The Oswego River; 
also called " Swe-geh " by 
the Iroquois. Name means 
" flowing out." The Falls 
of the Oswego is one of 
the sacred places of the 
Iroquois. 

ote-an'yea. The eagle. 

ote-ko'a. Wampum strings. 
History was preserved by 
means of wampum strings, 
each tribe having its wam- 
pum keeper. The consti- 
tution of the Iroquois pro- 
vided for the reading of the 
wampum strings at stated 
times. 

ot-sha'ta. The sky. 

o'weh. " Our own." See the 
story of the Echo, Chapter 
Eight. 

o-wi'raa. An infant. 

o-wis'ka. White. 

o-yan-do'ne. The moose. The 
east wind was figured as a 
moose. 

Pleiades. This constellation was 
know among the Iroquois 
as the Seven Brothers. 

Qua-ra'ra. A mythical hero who 
taught the use of medicinal 
herbs. 

ra-dix'aa. " Children," or " my 
children." Iroquois form 
of address. 

rong'we. Man. 



ro-yan'er. A title similar to 
" lord " or " lady " con- 
ferred on a class of women 
who had important civil 
rights in the choice of chief- 
tains and in depriving chief- 
tains of office. See Chapters 
Nineteen and Twenty-three. 

sais'ta. The snake. In the 
second paragraph in Chap- 
ter Twenty-Seven " saista " 
refers to the Mohawk 
River. 

Seneca. The Senecas were the 
strongest of the United 
Tribes. Possibly three thou- 
sand of them still live in 
New York. A few are in 
Ontario, and a few in Okla- 
homa. The name means 
" Great Hill People." 

Sha-de-kar-on'yes. A Seneca 
chieftain of the Snipe Clan, 
one of the sachems of the 
League. 

Shar-la-to'ga. Saratoga. 

Sha-we'nis. The principal 
royaner of the Onondaga 
Turtles, mother of Waun- 
dana and Hosahaho, and 
grandmother of Hiawatha. 

Skan-e-a'di-ce. Lake Skane- 
ateles. Name mean " long 
lake." 

Ska-neh-ta'de. The Hudson ; 
also the name of a Mohawk 
village on the site of Albany. 
Name means " river beyond 
the openings." 

Ska-no-da-ri'o. Mohawk name 
for Lake Ontario, meaning 
" the beautiful lake." Our 
word " Ontario " is a deriva- 
tive. 

ska-non'do. The deer. 

Sko-har'Ie. Schoharie Creek. 

sky journey. After death tiie 
soul journeyed to the Sun- 



328 



Glossary 



set Land of the Blessed. 
See Gadowaas. 

sky world. In general this was 
the Iroquois heaven, and 
the subject of a very rich 
and beautiful mythology. 
The earth was held by 
power coming from the sky 
world. 

snow snake. The snow snake 
(gawasa) was a light hickory 
shaft, highly polished and 
oiled. It was five to seven 
feet in length. The head 
was round, turned up 
slightly, and pointed with 
lead to increase the momen- 
tum. The snake was thrown 
underhand by placing the 
forefinger against the base 
of the shaft and supporting 
it with the thumb and 
the remaining fingers. The 
snake ran in a groove made 
by drawing a log through 
the snow. On snow crust it 
could be made to run with 
the speed of an arrow, 
sometimes as far as sixty or 
eighty rods. 

so'a. Night. 

So 'a Ka-ga'gwa. The moon. 
Literally " the night sun." 

so'hont. The turkey. 

So-no-sa'se. An Oneida chief- 
tain of the Turtle Clan. 

so'ra. The duck. 

So-son-do'weh. The sworn 
friend of Hiawatha. The 
name belongs to the Wolf 
Clan, and it means " mighty 
darkness." 

Star Woman. The morning star 
was spoken of as the Star 
Woman who, with her torch, 
lighted the council fire of 
Kagagwa, the sun. 

Sus-que-han'na. " The Great 
Island River." 



Swan. See Ah-weh'ah-ah. 
Swa-o'weh. A young ball player 
killed by Aodogweh. 

taw-is-taw'is. The snipe. 

Ta-yo'ga. Tioga point. Name 
means " the forks." 

Te-ah'ton-ta-l6'ga. The lower 
stronghold of the Mohawks, 
located on the Mohawk 
River at the mouth of the 
Schoharie Creek and a little 
west of Schenectady. The 
name means " two streams 
coming together." The Iro- 
quois name for Schenectady 
is "Ono-a-la-gone-na," " at 
the head." 

Tec-wi-ho'ga. Name (masc). 

Te-ka'ne-a-da'he. Tully Lake. 
Name means " a lake on a 
hill." 

Ti-ough-ni-o'ga. Tionghnioga 
River, the name meaning 
" shagbark hickory." The 
river is also called " Nan- 
no-gi-is'ka." 

ti'so-te. Grandfather. Iro- 
quois form of address. 

To-ne-da'wa. The daughter of 
Hiawatha. 

To-nes-sa'ah. An Onondaga 
chieftain of the Beaver 
Clan. 

To-no-a-ga'o. A chieftain of the 
Oneidas. 

Totem. The sacred symbol given 
by the clan spirit at the 
dream-fast. The totem of 
Hiawatha is not known. The 
totem of the united needles 
of the white pine was given 
because of its fitness to this 
story. 

Tree -That - Lights -the -World. 
Tree of Light. The tree 
held a conspicuous place in 
Iroquois mythology. For 
this reason its convention- 



Glossary 



alized form was very much 
used in decoration. This 
design is shown in the iUus- 
tration on page 31. See 
the story of Ataensic, Chap- 
ter Two. 
ty-o-kar'as. The darkness. 

U-neen'do. Cross Lake. Name 
means, " floating hemlock 
boughs," probably referring 
to the hemlocks growing so 
close to the water that the 
boughs touched it. 

wa-a'no. The bow. 

wa-gwen-ne'3ruh. Iroquois word 
for trail. The Great Central 
Trail which ran through the 
state from the site of Albany 
to the site of Buffalo was 
most judiciously located. 
After the country was sur- 
veyed, the turnpikes were 
laid out upon the Indian 
highway, with slight varia- 
tions, throughout the length 
of the state. The Indian 
traveler regularly made 
thirty or forty miles a day. 
See map on page xxiv. 

wampum. Wampum was used 
for religious purposes, and 
to record laws and treaties. 
White wampum was the 
Iroquois emblem of purity 
and of faith. In ancient 
times six strands of white 
wampum was paid in 
condonation for a murder. 
The primitive wampum of 
the Iroquois consisted of 
strings of small spiral, 
fresh-water shells called 



" otekoa." Wampum beads 
were later made from the 
conch shell, which yields 
both a white and a purj)le 
bead. 

wa-nah'sa. The tongue. 

wan'da. The light. 

Wa-nut'ha. The wife of Hia- 
watha. 

war post. An upright post where 
the warrior recounted his 
deeds of valor. It was often 
decorated or roughly carved 
to indicate the particular 
deeds accomplished. 

Wa-un-da'na. The Mother of 
Hiawatha. 

White Eagle. The name White 
Eagle was chosen for the 
purposes of this story be- 
cause it fitted in with the 
idea developed in Chap- 
ter One. Another White 
Eagle, a full-blooded Indian, 
gave his life in France, 
as a soldier in the Great 
War. His feather costume 
is now to be seen at 
the American Museum of 
Natural History in New 
York, to which he be- 
queathed it. 

Ya-e-wa'-no. Name (fem.). It 
means " she watches over 
us." 

yees-noon'ga. The hand. 

ye-go-wa'neh. " Wise woman," 
or " great woman." Name 
here applied to Jigonsasa. 

Yo-an'ja. The earth as 

mother. 

yon'he. Life. 

young'we. Woman. 



FIONEEK LIFE SERIES 



THE WHITE INDIAN BOY 




OR UNCLE NICK AMONG THE SHOSHONES 

Everybody that knew Uncle Nick Wilson was always begging him 
to tell about the pioneer days in the Northwest. When he was eight 
years old the Wilson family crossed the plains by ox-team. He was 
only twelve when he slipped away from home to travel north with 
a band of Shoshones, with whom he wandered about for two years, 
sharing all the experiences of Indian life. Later, after he had re- 
turned home, he was a pony express rider, he drove a stage on the 
Overland route, and he acted as guide in an expedition against the 
Gosiute Indians. 

A few years ago Uncle Nick was persuaded to write down his recol- 
lections, and Professor Howard N. Driggs helped him to make his 
account into a book that is a true record of pioneer life, with its 
hardships and adventures. 

The White Indian Boy is illustrated with many instructive photo- 
graphs and with drawings of Indian life by F. N. Wilson. 

Copies of this book can be obtained from any bookseller. Discounts 
are allowed when a number of copies are ordered from the publishers. 

WORLD BOOK COMPANY 

YONKERS-ON-HUDSON, NeW YoRK 

2126 Prairie Avenue, Chicago 



INDIAN LIFE AND INDIAN LORE 



INDIAN DAYS 

OF THE 

LONG AGO 



IN THE LAND 

OF THE 

HEAD-HUNTERS 



two books for young people by 4931 
Edward S. Curtis 
Author of " The North American Indian''^ 



'THEODORE ROOSEVELT once 
■*■ said that Mr. Curtis has caught 
glimpses, such as few white men ever 
catch, into the strange spiritual and 
mental life of the Indians. In In the 
Land of the Ucad-Hunters these glimp- 
ses are shared with his readers. 



TN Indian Days of The Long Ago the 
■'■ author gives an intimate view of 
Indian life in the olden days, reveals 
the great diversity of language, dress, 
and habits among them, and shows 
how every important act of their lives 
was influenced by spiritual beliefs and 
practices. 

The book tells the story of Kukusim, 
an Indian lad who is eagerly awaiting 
the time when he shall be a warrior. 
It is full of mythical lore and thrilling 
adventures, culminating in the moun- 
tain vigil, when Kukusim hears the 
spirit voices which mark the passing of 
his childhood. Illustrated with photo- 
graphs by the author and drawings by 
F. N. Wilson. 



The story centers about Motana, the 
son of the great War Chief. The moun- 
tain vigil, the wooing and winning of 
Naida, the raid of Yaklus and his war- 
riors, the rescue of the captured Naida, 
and the final victory, celebrated by 
ceremonial dances, are all described. 
The action is rapid and the story is 
told in the direct, simple style of the 
true epic. Illustrated with thirty full- 
page photographs by the author. 



WORLD BOOK COMPANY 

YONKERS-ON-HUDSON, NeW YoRK 

2126 Prairie Avenue, Chicago 




3l^77-l 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: 



PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES. I 
1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 
(412)779-2111 



^'^Rar) 



